


Brevity of Purity

by zeerogue



Series: Unicorn AU [2]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fashion AU, TaoXing - Freeform, Xiuris - Freeform, kailu - Freeform, krismin, laytao - Freeform, lukai - Freeform, taolay - Freeform, unicorn AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-11-01 01:26:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 81,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10911492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeerogue/pseuds/zeerogue
Summary: Huang Zitao is an up and coming fashion genius living it up in New York, but it's easy to loose yourself under the bright lights of big cities where parties and one night stands are easier to come by than your one big shot. Sometimes it seems his dreams are as hard to catch as a unicorn. That is until he stumbles upon one.





	1. "...but that didn't make it any easier."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You don't have to have read the SHINee one to read this one. They're stand alone.

**Chapter 1: "... but that didn’t make it any easier."**

 

             The warm skin pressed against him woke Tao every three hours. He had learned since the first time four years ago that yelling at the other body next to him or any forceful attempt to get those sweat slicked arms off him usually led to Tao standing outside in the dangerous late nights of New York City. For the minor satisfaction the other gave Tao, it was much easier to none too gently push the limbs off and roll farther and farther to the edge of the large bed. He had yet to actually end up on the floor, but as if that would help much as he was pretty sure Baekhyun would just unconsciously follow him down. It usually was Baekhyun that suggested he stay the night.

 

Tao blinked his eyes opened and stretched his free arm above his head. His tongue darted out and he licked his lips, a left over cherry flavor sticking to his taste buds, and he yawned. The sound caused the bed’s owner to stir where he was curled up against Tao’s side. Tao glared at him through blurry eyes and watched as Baekhyun’s nose twitched before he settled back into his death grip sleep. After another yawn, Tao reached down and patted Baekhyun’s cheek softly first then hard enough to turn the skin red. He counted to twenty before eyes smudged with eyeliner opened and met Tao’s.

 

“You’re still here,” Baekhyun muttered, squinting his eyes at Tao.

 

“How am I supposed to leave if you’re clinging to me like a sloth to a tree?”

 

Baekhyun slowly removed his arms from around Tao and rubbed his eyes, smudging the eyeliner from last night even more. “I don’t even know what a sloth is.”

 

Tao rolled his eyes and finally slid out from the sheets on of Baekhyun’s bed. He glanced around and found his pants by the door. “Did you suck me off as soon as we got in here last night?”

 

“You have a horrible drinking habit. You always forget the foreplay,” Baekhyun said as he stretched his arms above his head then curled back into his sheets.

 

“All I remember is you riding me like I was the last dick on earth.” Tao zipped up his pants and started the search for his shirt and jacket.

 

“It’s not like you use it that much, Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Submissive. Besides, you were going way too slow.”

 

Tao checked his hair in the mirror opposite of Baekhyun’s bed. He sifted through the array of makeup and rings cluttered on the dresser in front of it to find a hair band and pulled his bangs up into a ponytail to keep them out of his eyes. He frowned seeing the natural dark circles under his sharp almond eyes darker with the hard night of drinking and stress relieving sex. He pulled out a pair of shades from his jacket pocket.

 

“I always look like I’ve just been through a deadline when I leave from your place. You’re a horrible lover.”

 

“We’re not lovers, so get out.”

 

A pillow flew at Tao’s head and he dodged it. It hit the mirror then landed on the dresser causing a few eyeliner pencils to fall onto the floor. Tao stepped over them and headed to the door. A quick elevator ride later and he was out of Baekhyun’s apartment and in the cool breeze of a mid-April’s morning.

 

Tao didn’t know why he always opted to walk from Baekhyun’s apartment back to his. He knew it would make him late to work and he knew he would feel even more tired once he got to the apartment, but for the thirty minutes it took him to walk five dangerous crosswalks and smell the aroma from six different coffee shops and a McDonalds, he was awake. Many of his ideas came from this walk, and sometimes he agreed with Baekhyun’s suggestions to stay over not because he needed the warmth of a body, but simply so he could take this walk of shame back home and be ready with a whole slew of new ideas to present to his boss when he walked in hours late.

 

His hands felt frozen by the time he got to the lobby of his apartment. Tao scrunched up into the corner of the elevator away from a blonde woman in a sports bra and jogging pants who looked like she had just come from a morning run. It had been a while since Tao had taken one of those himself and he placed a hand on his abdomen wondering if he’d gained any weight. He glanced over at the woman, her breasts large but barely moving as she bounced on the balls of her feet from their firmness with the years of morning regimented exercise. He thought she was about thirty-three, ten years his senior. She didn’t look at him until it was her turn to get off. He caught her disgusted look, but shrugged it off. Right now she’d look at him like a pervert, and later she’d give him a homophobic sneer.

 

At least he didn’t have to hide it here, but that didn’t make it any easier.

 

Tao entered his apartment on the eighth floor only to be bumped in the chest by a mass of brown dyed hair. He tumbled back against the doorframe, one hand steadying him against the wall and the other wrapping around the smaller figure clinging onto him. Large doe eyes looked up at him surprised before narrowing into slits.

 

“You’re home late.”

 

Tao frowned and pulled his roommate off of him. “And you should watch where you’re going, Luhan _gege_.”

 

“I’m not the one that trips into other people’s beds late at night,” Luhan shot back, dusting off a leopard printed denim jacket and then looking around for his shoes.

 

“What did I tell you about going through my closet?” Tao said pushing past Luhan to get into the apartment.

 

“As long as you didn’t see, I could wear them. I figured you might have picked up some businessman since you stayed so late this time and wouldn’t see until we got to work. Besides, you didn’t do the laundry.”

 

“It was just Baekhyun again. There was an accident or something on the road. Someone probably died.” Tao started to strip, leaving a line of clothes top the bathroom.

 

“That’s horrible!” Luhan yelled. “And what did I tell you about leaving your clothes everywhere? Bye!”

 

Tao blinked when he heard the door close and reached a hand out to turn the shower head on. He pulled his hand back, leaving a black smear on the clear plastic knob. His hand was covered in Baekhyun’s eyeliner where he’d covered the other man’s eyes, trying to see something different, trying to see what he wanted.

 

The water cascaded over Tao’s body, hot water turning his pale tanned skin red.

 

What was it he wanted?

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

 

            Tao walked into _Ace’s_ three hours later with an iced Americano in one hand typing away on his cellphone with his free one. His jet black hair was spiked up and each of his six piercings in his ears were filled with black studs and small gold rings. He reached back and slipped his phone into the side pocket of his leopard print backpack to pull his shades off. A lady at the check out desk in the front lobby of the building waved him off as he passed a tapped off section and into a door that said ‘Employees Only’.

 

 _Ace’s_ was a growing clothing line in New York run by one of the top ten most eligible bachelors in New York, 27 year old Kris Wu. Though, that was according to last year’s issue. Since then, the journalist who did the interview with Kris tended to visit more and their clothes were finally starting to be shipped to stores outside of New York and they had already had a major fashion show that Tao hadn’t participated in.

 

Tao opted for the stairs, taking them one at a time until his legs started to stiffen up by the time he got to the sixth floor where women were spread out across tables with rolls and rolls of clothe. They looked at Tao warily or more so his ice Americano which was mostly gone by then. He moved through them and to the elevator pushing a button for the tenth floor. There were twelve floors all together in the building. There was a small shopping area on the bottom two, the factory area where the machines where along with storage until the sixth floor, then a whole floor for cutting and sorting fabrics. Seven and eight were offices and meeting rooms and then there was the tenth floor. Tao’s floor.

 

The elevator dinged and Tao stepped off only to run into a looming figure. Tao glared up at the head taller full lips, slim face, and bleached wind swept hair. He sipped on his coffee, ignoring the sound of empty air being sucked up and appeared bored when his glare was returned.

 

“You’re late. It’s already noon,” Tao’s boss said.

 

Tao removed the straw from his mouth and licked his lips. “What, are you going to fire me?”

 

“I should, I really should.”

 

Tao grinned and pushed his empty coffee cup into his boss’ hand. “You won’t.”

 

The plastic coffee cup shrieked as it was crushed then thrown against the wall. Tao scrunched up his face as long fingers reached out and tugged on one of his ears, pinching a couple of his earrings between them. He clawed at the hand to try and tug it free.

 

“I won’t because I’m responsible for you, you little shit.”

 

“Ow, ow, _gege_! Kris, that fucking hurts. Let me go!”

 

He was dragged a few feet down the hall before Kris let him go. “I’m deducting your pay for the hours you missed, and you better not go home early today.”

 

“I’ll go home when I’m done with my work,” Tao said and rubbed his ear careful of the earrings.

 

Kris ran a hand through his blonde hair then stuffed it into the pocket of his slacks. Tao’s eyes ran up along the curve of Kris’ arm, stopping at the rolled up sleeve of his white blazer and light blue dress shirt. His eyes moved back to Kris’ face and he glared. He could see the signs of dark circles under his boss’ eyes, too dark to be covered by the usual hourly makeup preparations Tao knew Kris went through every morning, or maybe he had been running late, too, so it had been cut down to fifteen minutes.  

 

“You never do any over time work, Zitao.”

 

“I don’t need to. The stuff you tell me to design gets done even if I come in late.”

 

“I know, but how am I supposed to make you my main designer when you’re so careless. Our company’s going to set off pretty soon and you’ve been working with me the longest, but I have other designers that work harder. I can’t just give you the position because we’re friends.”

 

Tao slipped one arm of his backpack off and moved it to the front. He rustled through the front pocket as he spoke. “It’s not just because we’re friends.”

 

“Zitao, you haven’t submitted anything refreshing since you graduated from university. If you want to be part of the next showcase _Ace’s_ is involved in then I need a portfolio from you soon.”

 

Tao started to pull a small book out from his bag. “I thought of some ideas on my way here.”

 

A hand pressed down on Tao’s shoulder and Tao dropped the book back down in his bag.

 

“I don’t want ideas, I want results. Submit another portfolio to me by the end of the month.”

 

The hand moved away and Tao swung his bag back properly on his shoulders. His hand twitched lonely now that he didn’t have his coffee cup in it. He reached out to poke Kris under the eye instead. “You’re getting bags bigger than mine; you should hurry and get married already so you can stop worrying about media on top of work.”

 

Kris sighed. “Is it obvious already? You’re right, I was thinking about moving the date up.”

 

Tao shifted his backpack. He could hear his phone buzzing, probably Luhan demanding to know where he was by now. “Yeah, it’ll save you a lot of trouble.”

 

Kris started back to the elevators, but stopped.  “Oh, I forgot. I just signed a new model to our company. I added him to the shoot today that you’re in charge of. Go see if he doesn’t spark any inspiration in you.”

 

Tao waved his boss off as the elevator doors closed on him. He waited until it dinged before going over and picking up the empty coffee cup. He tossed it into the trash and headed to his office at the end of the long hall, the only office on this floor only accompanied by a printing room where other supplies were stored as well for quick restore.

 

Our company.

 

Tao stopped in front of the black metal door to his office and outlined the tarnished gold nameplate with Chinese script with his finger. His name. Underneath it was the English version, just a white piece of cardboard slid between to metal bars. It wasn’t half as pretty, but it was efficient.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

 

            The photoshoot area was hectic. It always was, a point Tao made frequently to Kris when in meetings to get the blame off him. It usually was his fault, always showing up late. They had lost a few models that way, but they were always rescheduled. Tao could be very convincing.

 

Tao took a glance around the area and shook his head. He barked at a tall guy in the corner, an intern photographer, talking to their longest contracted model. The guy rushed over, large eyes looking at Tao nervously, hand clenching around his camera. The model followed behind him and Tao looked the milky skinned boy up and down before going back to the photographer.

 

“Chanyeol,” Tao began and pointed to two of the sets he had designed for the shoot. “Those two are backwards; get someone to fix it since you’re not taking pictures right now. And why aren’t we taking pictures yet? I don’t have to be here for you guys to get started.”

 

The photographer, Chanyeol glanced behind him at the model then fiddled with his camera. Tao rolled his eyes and moved past him until he stood in front of the model.

 

“Sehun Oh, I’m not surprised to see you here or flirting with the interns. Why haven’t you gotten any shots yet?” Tao asked.

 

The milky skinned model yawned, lifting a hand to cover it just at the end. “I’m flirting because we can’t do anything else without the other model. He texted me to say if the designer wasn’t there yet then he didn’t have to be there either.”

 

Tao frowned. The new model sounded like trouble, at least where Tao was concerned. “Why did Kris sign such an irresponsible person?”

 

“You sure you want to be the one asking that?” Sehun pointed out. “Anyways, he said he was just across the street, so he’s just wasting time. Now that you’re finally here, I can go call him.”

 

“Why do you have his number anyways?”

 

Sehun looked up from typing on his phone. “He’s a friend of mine. We went to high school together. He’s been in a few shoots, but he just recently hit it big. You mentioned wanting a sexier vibe then he’s your man.”

 

“He has three minutes, tell him that,” Tao said. He watched Sehun type away on his phone then met the model’s eyes. “Where’s Luhan, I have to go over the shoot schedule with him.”

 

“Why would I know where he is?” Sehun snapped his phone shut and stuffed it into the pocket of his jacket that was zipped up teasingly to his sternum where his naked chest was revealed, dressed ready to be undressed for the shoot.

 

“Probably because you’re the first guy he ever dated in this company and you keep tabs on each other all the time.”

 

Sehun glared for a moment before waving over to the small break room in the shooting area. “I saw him go in there, but I have a mind that that intern won’t be going home tonight, so if you wouldn’t mind…”

 

Tao patted Sehun’s shoulder and moved past him to the break room. He saw the small figure of his roommate hunched over a stack of files drawing a Donald Duck pen across the pages as he read. Quietly, Tao slinked up behind him and laid himself over Luhan’s back.

 

“What are you doing?” Tao asked.

 

Luhan sighed and lowered his head to the pages with a light thump. “Dying.”

 

Tao lifted himself and looked at Luhan curiously. “Why?”

 

“One, because my roommate is always late to work which makes all of my work late,” Luhan said and lifted his head. He tapped the end of his pen against a photo, the Donald Duck head on the end lighting up every other tap. “And two, because of the new guy Kris assigned me. Just look at him, how am I supposed to manage this with confidence?”

 

Tao plucked the picture from under Luhan’s pen. He examined the Asian man in the picture, shirtless in only jeans, thin muscle with pale gold skin stretched across them and thick lips. “He’s hot. And younger. You’re right, you’re totally dead.”

 

Luhan groaned and plucked the picture away staring at it. “He’s my type.”

 

Tao tugged on Luhan’s arm to get him up. “Well, might as well get it over with. Death is headed this way in two minutes.”

 

“I don’t want to,” Luhan whined as he was dragged out of the break room.

 

“Hurry, I want your funeral plans done by eight.”

 

Luhan slapped Tao’s shoulder. “You’re heartless.”

 

Tao looked across the photoshoot area and grinned seeing the same gold skinned boy from the pictures walk in. He dragged Luhan with more force.

 

“And you’re a twenty-seven year old virgin who’s going to get laid.”


	2. “…and sometimes Tao wished he was a woman.”

**Chapter 2 “…and sometimes Tao wished he was a woman.”**

 

            The coffee shop was across the street from _Ace’s_. It was convenient to Tao as he could simply complain the coffee provided for the workers was too bland and then stay at the coffee shop for an hour here and there throughout the day while still being at work. Tao’s favorite seat was at the left corner window. He could see anyone coming out from _Ace’s_ and they could see him from any floor in the building. It also allowed him to enjoy one of his favorite past times—glaring at the vendor on the next street over who sold knock off brand named goods.

 

Tao’s had been had by one of those vendors when he first arrived in New York City. He spent all the allowance Kris had given him for that month on a Gucci wallet that started to unravel only a month later. The girls that worked at _Ace’s_ often stopped by the vendor and bought new bags. Tao often saw the seamstresses’ bags stacked up in a corner when he passed to get to the elevator. They were stuffed full of needles and measuring tapes and other things Tao couldn’t fathom that women carried, but the bags seemed to withstand the pressure, and sometimes Tao wished he was a woman.

 

Being a woman wouldn’t really help. Even if he was a homosexual, Tao still had an advantage over girls. As held back as he had been when he first got to New York City, he still had an advantage over girls. Tao barely knew English when he was suddenly thrust into an American university, but, back then, he’d had binders full of ideas to edit and revise however the professor instructed. They use to call him a genius. He had asked Kris what the word meant and every time he heard it, the only English word he could really understand without focusing, it fueled nineteen years of passion burning inside of him. But, in the real world of fashion, everyone’s a genius.

 

Tao didn’t have any virtue to loose, though, and that was what put him above most women.

 

“Let’s go to the circus.”

 

The straw from his Americano missed Tao’s mouth and threatened to go up his nose when he jumped from the sudden voice. Tao looked up to see the beaming hand model waving two tickets in front of his face.

 

“You’re asking me out on a date and I don’t want to,” Tao said. He put his Americano down and grabbed a napkin from the hand painted cardboard dispenser the eco-friendly shop owner made for each table. He wiped his nose where the drips from his straw were starting to stick then wiped his straw before slipping it into Baekhyun’s hand. “Get me a new straw.”

 

Baekhyun rolled his eyes and placed the two tickets on the table with a hard slap. “It’s not a date because we’re not lovers.”

 

Tao tapped his foot a couple of times then sighed and lifted the coffee cup lid to sip his drink, glad it was already cooled. “We’re not exactly friends either.”

 

Baekhyun perched himself on the table and slid the tickets over to Baekhyun. “We haven’t had sex in five days, I think we’re back to being just friends, or at least acquaintances. Come on, Tao, I already paid money for these tickets, and how often do you get to see a circus here in New York City, a real traveling circus?”

 

“If you want to go so bad, then find yourself a date.”

 

“That was the plan, but it’s been a bad fishing week,” Baekhyun sighed. “Why else would I be asking you?”

 

Tao swirled his drink, grimacing at the dark bits at the bottom. “Are there going to be elephants?”

 

Baekhyun looked at the tickets. “There’s one on the ticket. What’s a circus without an elephant?”

 

“What time?” Tao asked.

 

“Seven. It’s five-thirty right now.”

 

Tao looked up to see Baekhyun grinning. He looked behind him to the other side of the coffee shop where Luhan had opted to take the new model to talk about how the week had gone. He had entered on Monday. It was Friday. Tao stood.

 

“Luhan, I’m leaving now. Make sure not to tell Kris I’m still here,” Tao said.

 

His roommate looked up, cheeks a candy apple red that made Tao want to reach out and poke them. Even after spending almost every working hour with the new model, Luhan still couldn’t look the guy in the eye. Occasionally, Tao would look over at the model to see him grinning in amusement at Luhan and that in turn amused Tao. He always found it fun to watch the elder man stutter around when it came to dating when he was usually a bubbly confident mess who worked hard and made Tao look bad.

 

Luhan frowned. “I hate lying to the boss.”

 

“You are older than the boss,” Tao said.

 

Luhan waved his Donald Duck pen at Tao. “Age doesn’t matter where my paycheck is concerned. I’ll pretend you didn’t just tell me that and say I don’t know if he comes looking for you. Where are you going anyways?”

 

“Circus,” Tao said and motioned over to Baekhyun.

 

Luhan raised a brow. “You two going on a date?”

 

“No, we’re just going to entertain ourselves.”

 

The model suddenly spoke up. “I think that guy asked me to go with him Wednesday when I had a shoot on the next street over.”

 

Tao rolled his eyes. “Most likely. Oh, I haven’t gotten your name yet, it’s so busy in there and all.” He held his hand out.

 

The model took it. “You’re Zitao Haung, my designer. I’m Kim Jongin, or for business purposes, Kai.”

 

“Oh, Korean. You don’t happen to be mixed?” Tao’s eyes ran up the pale gold wrist connected to the hand he still held. In America, Tao had run into many Northern Asian’s with darker skin, either having a love for the sun or a love for the tanning bed, but he still had the usual initial reaction.

 

“No,” Kai said and removed his hand from Tao’s. “It’s not a tan either, it’s natural.”

 

Tao glanced over to Luhan who was hunched over his files scribbling with his pen. “I see how you got into this business then. Make sure Luhan here doesn’t over schedule you.”

 

Tao’s hand landed with a hard thump on Luhan’s back and the older man groaned softly, looking up at him with a glare.

 

“Get going already, would you,” Luhan growled.

 

“With pleasure your pureness.”

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            “I think we’re overdressed.”

 

Tao turned to glare at Baekhyun. It was seven thirty on a Friday night and he was still standing in line to enter the circus. On any other night he would be taking a nap until nine and then get ready to go out clubbing if he didn’t have a business party or too bored of human interaction if Kris had bugged him much that day. It was a cold April night and Tao hugged himself to keep the chill air from penetrating through his thin leopard print shirt with a revealing neck line. They were over dressed at least for a circus and being over the age of eight. Little girls ran around in bright colored tutus and boys in bits of clown costumes with their mothers yelling at them to calm down. Baekhyun was even worse, jumping up and down on his feet, gaudy rings on almost everyone one of his thin feminine fingers, and guyliner smudged from the tears the cool wind pierced his eyes with.

 

“You should invest in waterproof eyeliner,” Tao said and lifted a hand up to wipe a smudge away.

 

Baekhyun touched Tao’s wrist and smiled. “The companies I model for don’t use waterproof eyeliner, at least not any I can get my hands on for free.”

 

There was a gasp behind them and Tao turned to see a mother a few people back usher her kids behind her.

 

“It thought this was a circus, not a freak show,” the husband muttered.

 

Tao sighed. He missed the city. Why couldn’t the circus be in the city? Baekhyun hadn’t told him exactly where the circus was when he invited him, and Tao hadn’t been enthusiastic enough to stare at the ticket the whole cab ride there. What 23 year old came to the suburbs for a circus?

 

High heeled shoes clicked past them on the pavement. Tao judged the hot pink pumps and the swirl tights pulled across muscled legs. He wasn’t surprised when he saw the bulge fighting to stay beneath the aqua blue leotard or bright red lips beneath a thinly trimmed mustache.

 

“Are you supposed to be the bearded woman?” Tao asked.

 

The carnie just smiled and moved into the tent set up, the usual bright yellow and red seen in cartoons. Tao held his hand out toward Baekhyun who was staring after the circus man with wide eyes.

 

“Let me see the tickets again.”

 

Baekhyun dug into his jean pockets, thin fingers barely able to slip in, and pulled out the tickets. He handed one to Tao with a curious brow raised. Tao took his ticket and examined it. The outline was green and the rest was in black and white and looked very old fashion. There was an elephant, the most prominent item on the ticket, but everything else looked more like something from a 20’s side show circus, angry looking monkeys and clowns that would scare most kids today. The children running around them must have been exceptions or their parents hadn’t bothered to look at the tickets more carefully.

 

Tao stuffed his ticket into his own pocket and looked around. He could barely make out one of the caravans parked behind the large circus tent. He squinted to see what was drawn on the side—a half naked mermaid.

 

“I think this might be a freak show,” Tao said.

 

“You mean the guy that just walked by? He was probably not dressed fully yet, or he was a clown, though that’s a pretty weird outfit for a clown.”

 

Tao waved his hand in argument. “No, I think it’s one of those darker themed circuses. I read about them when I was taking extra classes to help me learn English when I first got here.”

 

Baekhyun shrugged. “I don’t care, it looked interesting and they still have elephants.”

 

There wasn’t much to argue with, but Tao wondered if these parents had been deceived or if they didn’t care to show their children these ‘freaks’.

 

 Ten minutes later, they were finally filed into the carnival. The man in the leotard and pink pumps apologized to the guests as they walked in saying the tickets had been printed from their last show and still had Central time on them. The husbands growled at the carnie man as they past, throwing insults once they were seated.

 

Tao led them to a seat at the top of the bleachers close to an exit. He crossed his legs ignoring any glares the families from the bottom bleachers threw at him. It had been years since Tao had been suspected to so much homophobia, or maybe he had gotten use to the stares and such obvious shows of it only miles outside of the city caught him off guard.

 

Baekhyun leaned against Tao as the show started. He ignored the unromantic affectionate display, missing it since leaving Asia where such things were common. A man dressed in green walked out. There were only five rows of bleachers, but the man’s top hat made it hard to see his face. In one hand he held a staff and the other a bouquet of flowers. He stepped onto a podium in the middle of the sawdust floor. There were a few seconds that past without a words, audience silent in anticipation and the show not yet started. The green clad man lifted the bouquet toward the audience and it exploded. A couple of the little girls screamed dying into laugher as glitter rained down on them. Tao scooted back in his seat not wanting any of the small bits of shiny plastic to stick to his clothes and find them in his underwear six weeks later, like lipstick stains from a regret night in the wrong club.

 

The explosion of the bouquet produced a microphone. The green clad man lifted it to his lips as his free hand came to his top hand to remove it. Tao heard Baekhyun gasp beside him and scoot to the edge of his seat. He rolled his eyes and studied the man as he began to talk.

 

“Hello, and welcome ladies and gentlemen to the strangest show on earth. I am the ringleader of this little put together, Chen. Before we begin, I must apologize for the wrong printing of tickets, free popcorn will be provided in exchange. I also must go over some ground rules.” The ringleader’s eyes ran across the small audience before him before smiling, a row of straight teeth that enhanced the sharp lines of his jaw.

 

“I’ve never been so attracted to a carnie before,” Baekhyun whispered, fingers tapping at his lips.

 

“You’re hopeless,” Tao replied and tapped his foot.

 

“First off, no smoking in or around the tent, please. We have a post set up with a sign; you can step out and go there if the need arises. This is both to prevent a fire and to prevent the startling of any of our animals with the smell. Also, since there are many children, it’s common courtesy. Speaking of children, please keep them from running out onto the floor, they could get trampled by the elephants. Now, if that’s all agreed, show we start the show?”

 

The ringleader winked and placed his top hat back on. He took a step backwards and then another and another. He glided back as if on thin air toward the entrance he had come from. Tao saw the glint of a thin clear wire at the height of the podium. Though not fooled like the rest of the crowd, he was impressed. The man in the pink pumps appeared after him along with a girl in a lace gown and tennis shoes. They climbed up ladders to a higher tight rope above their heads. They moved across it together, changing articles of clothing until the man was fully dressed as a woman and the woman as the man. An animal tamer came next with a cheetah and a small monkey that she allowed the children to pet. Tao watched the sleek coat of the cat picturing all the different designs he could make with it. Perhaps it wasn’t a bad idea to come.

 

More acts appeared until an hour had passed, the last being the elephants stampeding around the tent until they were called short when children started throwing popcorn at them. The ringleader appeared again. People started to stand, but he waved his hand for them to sit.

 

“We have one more act, a special one that not every stop gets to see. If we’re really quiet and wish hard enough, perhaps he will appear for you. So many pretty girls in the audience, little maidens, I’m sure he will if you all ask.” The ring leader stepped closer to the audience and pointed at one of the little girls in a tutu. “Would you like to see him? Would you like to see a real unicorn?”

 

The little girl nodded enthusiastically.

 

“Then let’s call him out, maybe he’ll bring his girlfriends, too.”

 

Tao shifted in his chair as the little children excitedly called out for the ‘unicorn’. He guessed it was just a white horse dressed up to look like one and wanted to scoff. Three white horses entered the ring and Tao stood ready to leave with his prediction right. He stopped when he caught the ring leader’s eyes suddenly flash back to the entrance.

 

“These are his beautiful girlfriends, but it seems Mr. Unicorn won’t make a presence. He says someone here didn’t listen and pulled out a cigarette.” The ring leader tutted. “Now, if you will all leave the tent in an orderly fashion, we can get the fire under control before it makes its way here.”

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

 

            Tao was slow to react. While wives screamed and husbands turned into heroes or abandoning sissies, Tao stayed planted on the top bleacher staring down at the chaos below. The white horses, “girlfriends” to the unicorn, were led back by the man in pink pumps. The ringleader shouted into his microphone for the audience to keep calm and exit in an orderly fashion. It wasn’t until orange blazed on the opposite end of the tent curtains that the ringleader dropped his microphone and exited. Tao was tugged forward by Baekhyun desperately calling his name followed by lines of Korean Tao had a hard time comprehending with all the smoke that filled the tent.

 

They stumbled their way down the bleachers only to stop when the fire took one of the poles that held up the tight rope and it began to fall toward them. Tao turned and pushed Baekhyun back up a few bleachers and then down to the railing. Baekhyun was still rambling in Korean with broken English and Tao caught his tongue before he replied back in Chinese and caused confusion between them. He pushed Baekhyun over the railings and the hand model landed with a hiss before scampering out of the tent. He peeked his head back into the tent and waved for Tao to come.

 

“ _Ppalli, ppalli_ ,” he yelled.

 

Tao glanced back just in time to see the pole as it fell. He rushed back to get out of the way of the burning wood. The flames died a little on impact. Baekhyun’s scream rang in Tao’s ears as he watched the orange and yellow flames devour the wood.

 

“Zitao, Zitao! _Ppalli_! Yah, Zitao!”

 

Tao shook his head to clear it of the smoke filling the area. He measured the distance from the flames to the railing and the height. His tongue licked across his lips, the heat drying them out, and he took a step back. With one test step, Tao rand and jumped over the flames and burning pole. One foot landed on the railing and he used it to push him further, jumping over it and onto the sawdust entrance of the circus tent. Baekhyun reached out and grabbed his wrist pulling him out of the tent.

 

Outside the families were in a state of disarray. Half of ran straight for their cars while the other half pulled out their cell phones walking closer than farther away from the burning site. There were a few that stood close and watched it burn, the childish red and yellow of the tent. Tao hesitated wanting to watch as well, but Baekhyun’s long fingers were firm on his wrist, tugging Tao along as if the younger man was a child. They went behind the tent. Sirens could be heard in the background and Tao could understand Baekhyun’s disinterest in being seen on the news concerning such a disaster. They were names and faces with futures that needed protecting.

 

The carnies were rushing around behind the tent with buckets of water or leashes for animals. Someone was yelling, the ringleader in his green outfit. Escaped, escaped, escaped. Tao could see quite a few of the cages empty, but whether that was because the animals had been led out or escaped, Tao didn’t know.

 

Baekhyun leaned into Tao once they were far enough away. “That was a disaster.”

 

“I’m sure it’s not the worst thing that’s ever happened to you on a Friday night,” Tao said.

 

Baekhyun laughed and reached into his pocket only to frown. “Maybe it is. I think I lost my phone.”

 

“We’re not going back, get a new one.”

 

“Forget going back, just do a commercial for phones and they’ll give you a new one.”

 

Baekhyun poked Tao’s cheek. “You’re smart. My manager said something about a phone ad. What time is it anyways?”

 

Tao pulled out his own phone and frowned. “Only after nine.”

 

“What do you say we grab a bottle of tequila and see how far the cabby will take us?”


	3. “…, and sleep somewhere warm.”

**Chapter 3 “…, and sleep somewhere warm.”**

 

            It was like when they first meant, alcohol wafting from Baekhyun’s breath as he stumbled into Tao blabbering on in Korean that sounded so foreign among the ring of American techno music in the club it was like home. Tao never wanted to sleep with the hand model, bit he was so close to finishing university he needed a release. Baekhyun’s mood making nature called to Tao; that smile he’d given him along with a _joesonghabnid_ a was something he had longed to see among the sneers and side glances of his classmates. Baekhyun bough him a drink and Tao would have done anything Baekhyun asked to see him smile like that again even if it ended in them rolling in sheets that might not have even then theirs.

 

They had gone out like this that night, drunk and laughing, and they had ended up in the same place, watching the shore of one of the New York beaches because that was as far as the cabby would take them. It had been spring then, too.

 

Tao blinked his eyes. There was a pang every time he moved them and he curled up on his side with a groan. His cheek touched a gritty texture like dirt. Alarmed, Tao quickly sat up. He reached out and grabbed a handful of the cool white sand and let each grain fall from his hand. There was no memory of stepping out of the cab. The last thing Tao could recall was Baekhyun handing over a credit card with another man’s name on it to the cabby holding a bottle of half full tequila, his throat burning hot enough to warm the rest of his body from the cool April night.

 

He turned, a quick swivel in the sand, and stared at the calm waves coming in from the foggy pink and gray horizon. It wasn’t that Tao was unfamiliar with smog induced sights, but he felt the morning shoreline was far more beautiful in China. Though his family hadn’t been rich, he was lucky enough to live close to a beach and he frequented it often wondering if he could see Japan if he squinted enough. When he had come to New York, he wasn’t sure how close to one he would be, but even with not long to travel, Tao didn’t often come.

 

Where the footsteps he left that last day still there? Had the tide finally reached them?

 

The haze of his hangover started to lift and Tao jumped to his feet. Baekhyun. He didn’t know where the other man was. He looked around him, but saw no signs that another body had been there. Tao brushed himself off and stuffed his hands in his pockets. His fingers brushed over a cellphone and Tao pulled it out, holding it up to block the rising son shining through a break in the fog. Luhan had called twenty times. Tao pressed his phone to his ear and listened to his roommate’s voice.

 

“Did you really go? Kris didn’t believe me and he looks mad.”

 

“Tao, Zitao, are you alright? I heard something about a fire at a one ring circus.”

 

“Tao, I will find you and kill you if you’re not already dead! I am _gege_ ; call me if you’re alright.”

 

“I can’t get a hold of Baekhyun. Are you guys okay?”

 

“Baekhyun drunk texted me from some stranger’s phone. Are you with him?”

 

“I’m going to set all your leopard print on fire you ungrateful roommate!”

 

“Don’t get raped and sleep somewhere warm.”

 

Tao grinned at the last message and pulled his phone out. He had met Luhan first. They meant at _Ace’s_ when it was still small, the first manager Kris had signed. Apparently, Sehun wanted a switch in companies and with his record, Kris couldn’t deny it. When Tao started looking for a new place, the older man offered. He was Chinese, but also knew plenty of other languages. Luhan was someone Tao could feel comfortable with, like a big brother he didn’t have to be close with.

 

That’s how Tao liked it.

 

**To: LuLu**

**From: Panda**

**We don’t have work today. Go play with your new model.**

 

Tao laughed as he stuffed his phone back into jacket then paused. He hadn’t worn a jacket last night. Honestly, he had no idea whose jacket this was, but his bottom end felt fine so he didn’t think he would have to return it. He thought about calling Baekhyun, but remembered Luhan’s message. The hand model was probably in some drunkard’s bed, or had he run off to a party without Tao? There was no point in trying to find Baekhyun either way since he lost his phone to the fire.

 

The morning’s blush of pink and orange was slowly giving way to the bright blue sky, fog burning quickly now. Tao lifted his arms above his head and stretched. Free Saturdays were good days. Tao reached back into his pocket and switched his phone off. They were good days as long as Kris didn’t call him in.

 

A walk sounded good to Tao and so he kicked some sand and started down the shoreline. The air smelled fresh with a tinge of salt and Tao breathed it in deeply. There were other people scattered on the beach. A man with a terrier ran in the opposite direction of Tao. The dog stopped and barked at Tao. Tao stopped surprised. He reached out a hand and tried to make friends with the small dog. Its owner whistled and the dog ran to him. They made a wide arc around Tao and he wondered why reaching up a hand to his hair. Sand fell out. He must have looked horrible.

 

Tao started back to the bridge area close to where he was on the bridge in hopes he could catch a taxi back home. He was on a different part of the beach from where he was use to, probably closer to where the fire had been. Something glinted from under the bridge and Tao paused. It glittered again as the sun got higher, catching it. Money? Jewelry? Maybe it was Baekhyun and his rings. What if it was a dead Baekhyun? Well, Tao couldn’t just leave him there.

 

Getting under the bridge was harder than Tao had anticipated. Had he not had the reflexes that allowed him to jump over burning poles and escape a circus tent, he would have probably fallen into the water. It wasn’t Baekhyun, but there was definitely a body curled up under the bridge. Tao got closer, thoughtful that it might just be a hobo. Their clothes looked like that was their occupation, but they looked too young. Ratted jeans and a dirty white muscle shirt and long brown hair with gold colored straw poking out didn’t particularly mean a hobo, but maybe a runaway. Tao reached out and shoved the person’s arm.

 

“Hey, wakeup.” His voice felt raw from the tequila last night and he cleared it. The body started to move before he could repeat him, turning onto their back. Tao gasped.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

 

                 “Where to sir?”

 

Tao clicked the seatbelt around the sleeping figure beside him and gave the cab driver his address. The other man had been a lot easier to carry than Tao had thought. That, or Tao had clearly mistaken the amount of muscle he had lost since coming to New York. The man had been awake for two minutes exactly before passing back out under the bridge. Tao had gotten only a few second long glimpses of the man’s eyes, a soft brown and unfocused. He had mumbled two words – fire, tent. Tao had stood there in the sand wondering what to do with the man. He didn’t smell like alcohol, but his body was covered in dirt caked sweat and when Tao kneeled to pick him up, there were bruises around his wrists and ankles. There weren’t any burns, though the edges of the man’s pants proved he had been close to one, singed. What was this beautiful guy doing all the way out here?

 

He was beautiful; a sharp angled pleasant looking face covered by chin length brown hair. Perhaps that was why Tao had scrapped his initial reaction to leave the man for the police to find.Or maybe it was the gold chain that dangled out of place from around his neck.

 

Tao placed a hand over his face and glanced up and down the man beside him. Now that they were in an enclosed space, he could smell hay and the stench of manure that stuck to close when working around it a lot. There were other smells that Tao chose to politely not think about. He caught the cabby glancing back at them in the rearview mirror and glared. The cab driver cleared his throat.

 

“I could swing you buy the police department first if you want, no charge.”

 

Tao removed his hand and followed it with a sigh. “It’s nothing that serious. I’ve been meaning to do charity work recently.”

 

The cab driver adjusted his rearview mirror. “You don’t look so good yourself.”

 

“More reason _not_ to go to the police. It was Friday night, things happen.” Tao shrugged and brought his phone out to turn it back on.

 

“That’s true,” the cab driver laughed. “I remember having crazy nights when I first got here from Bulgaria.”

 

“You’re from Europe, that’s interesting,” Tao said with a board tone hitting his speed dial for Luhan.

 

“Yep, and you have an accent yourself. Chinese?”

 

“Good guess,” Tao said and lifted the phone to his ear. He could care less about the deflated mumble the cab driver gave as he listened to Luhan’s phone ring. He cursed when it went to voicemail. “ _Gege_ , where the fuck are you? _Did you actually go on a date with that model? You better come home sore.”_

 

Tao licked his lips, tongue feel weird after using his native language. He sat back in his seat and crossed his arms looking out the window. How was he supposed to carry this guy up eight flights of stairs by himself? Tao hadn’t carried anything heavier than a dress form into the elevator and that was something he could rest on the floor for the ten second ride. He couldn’t carry a person into the elevator. Well he could, but he’d get looks. Tao didn’t really care about looks.

 

He turned to look at the man again. He was filthy. Beautiful, but filthy.

 

Twenty minutes later they arrived in front of Tao’s apartment. Tao stepped out and looked around. He wished he had his sunglasses to cover up his face like he usually did when he felt like shit coming home in the morning. He adjusted the hood of the mysterious jacket and lifted it over his head hoping that would help. The cab driver tried to get out and help as Tao rounded around the car for the other man, but Tao held a hand out for him to stay inside. 

           

 Leaning over the man proved a bad idea. Tao held his breath as he unbuckled the seatbelt. It wasn’t that it was a bad smell, Tao hardly noticed it on the beach, but it was a smell Tao hated. Straw. Dirt. Sweat. He tried to collect the man full of dead weight the best he could and pulled him out. It was easier getting him inside and Tao bumped his head on the way out. The cab driver waved to Tao then drove out and Tao stared at his apartment, eyes going up and up until they landed on the eighth floor on Luhan’s bedroom window.

 

Tao had to remind himself he didn’t care how people looked at him when he got onto the elevator.

 

Three people got on and off during his ride.

 

They all gave him looks and stood as close to the doors as possible.

 

Maybe the smell was just starting to get worse.

 

A young girl scurried off the elevator on the eighth floor before the doors were even opened all the way. Tao walked out and adjusted his hand holding the man’s upper body to throw the finger after her. He turned the opposite way toward his apartment. Tao was somewhat amazed the man was still asleep. He wasn’t handling him particularly carefully and it must have been hours since he had first fell asleep. If he was really from the fire at the circus then he could be under shock and stress.

 

Should he take the man to a hospital then?

 

Tao knocked on the door to the apartment ten times with his foot. He growled frustrated that Luhan wasn’t answering. He should have called when they got there.

 

“Luhan! Hey, virgin _gege_ , open the door!” Tao yelled.

 

There was no answer. Tao lowered the man to the floor leaning against the wall and fished his keys out. When the door was opened, Tao grabbed the man under his arms and dragged him inside, shutting the door with his butt. He dragged him all the way over to the couch then lifted him and placed him as best he could there. The couch Luhan had when Tao first moved in had been comfortable, but ugly and Tao quickly convinced him to get rid of it. A sexy couch meant sexy make out sessions which then meant sex. Not that Luhan was desperate for sex, but he had had a boyfriend at the time.

 

Tao took off his jacket and threw it to the side. It landed on a misplaced pillow that belonged in Luhan’s bedroom. The man was still sleeping and Tao kicked the couch lightly. He didn’t wake up.

 

“You’re really dirty. You need a bath,” Tao said to the sleeping man. His couch would probably need cleaning, the cream leather catching the caked on sand and dirt, but, no matter how much Tao was use to taking clothes off strangers, he refused to undress someone so vulnerable. “You can just clean the couch when you wake up then.”

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

 

            Tao didn’t notice when he fell asleep at his desk. Clicking through clothing websites was supposed to occupy him while he waited for his hair to dry after his shower. He woke up with one side of his hair slightly permed and sticking up in curls the shape of his arm. Tao ran his fingers through it and walked over to his body length mirror. He was still in his bathrobe, naked as day underneath the big cat spots on the tan dyed soft fabric. Luhan had said a Leopard print bathrobe was taking it too far, but Tao liked it. The strong but beautiful cats were something he always looked up to in China. He wanted to be them. He didn’t think he had accomplished that yet.

 

The robe was hanging opened and Tao ran a hand down his slim, but fit chest and stopped above his waist. He moved his hand over to one side of the bathrobe then tied it back together. He’d put some gel in his hair to get it flat. There was only one bathroom shared between Luhan and him. They both had more beauty products than any man should, thought most of Luhan’s the older man didn’t even use, free or stuff he found on sale while Tao had bottles of half gone facial creams and hair products scattered everywhere. Neither of them was very neat with anything that wasn’t the kitchen or their own bedroom. Tao shifted through the array of products to find his least sticky hair gel. He watered it down a bit before running it down the side of his hair that was sticking up. Most of it fell flat after a few runs of his fingers through his hair. He took a comb to it anyways.

 

Tao left the bathroom and walked to the living room intending on watching television, but paused first when he caught the whiff of something stale and again when he was standing at the end of the couch.

 

He’d forgotten about the circus man.

 

Tao moved to stand beside the man’s head. He really needed to wake up. Tao looked around and saw Luhan’s pillow on the floor where it had been when he first got there. He pulled it out from under the mysterious jacket and weighed it in his hand. The man was still out cold and Tao licked his lips measuring the distance. The pillow went flying, landing straight on the man’s face. He groaned, but didn’t move otherwise as the pillow slid down his face. Tao frowned and picked the pillow back up. He held it over his head before bringing it down on the sleeping man’s chest. He did it three times before the man’s eyes fluttered open.

 

The man groaned, warm brown eyes flittering around before landing on Tao who held the pillow over his head in case the man fell back to sleep. The man blinked before shooting up on the couch. He took another glance at Tao before crawling up on the couch trying to get away.

 

“D-don’t hurt me,” the man croaked out.

 

Tao tossed the pillow away. “Why would I do that? I’m more vulnerable than you are at the moment.” Tao gestured to his bathrobe clad state.

 

The man’s eyes widened and he scurried to the opposite end of the couch. “Why are you naked?”

 

“I’m not naked,” Tao said and wiped off a place on the coffee table in front of the couch. He planted his elbows on his knees and his head between his hands looking at the man bored. “Shouldn’t you be more worried about where you are?”

 

The man cocked his head to the side as if not understanding then looked around. “It’s nice in here.”

 

“It’s messy in here. You’re messy, too.”

 

The man looked down at himself and lowered his head, long brown hair falling over his face. “Sorry. Um, why am I here?”

 

“I found you passed out under the bridge at the beach. Were you at the fire at the circus?” Tao asked.

 

The man’s face went blank and he stared passed Tao. Tao was going to repeat himself when the man finally nodded.

 

“Where you part of the audience? I bet you have friends wondering where you are.”

 

The man shook his head.

 

“You worked there then?”

 

A nod.

 

Tao stood and started for his bedroom. “Give me the number and I’ll call your crew to come pick you up.”

 

A hand reached out and grabbed the sleeve of Tao’s bathrobe. He turned to see the man looking up at him with fear. Tao furrowed his brows. He followed the line of the man’s neck, down the simple gold chain and then up the arm holding onto his sleeve. The bruises he’d seen on the man’s wrists and ankles weren’t as prominent, but he could still see a faint trace of purple around the creamy skin. Tao grabbed the hand and tugged it away from his sleeve. He held the man’s arm up and stared at the bruises. The man finally pulled his hand away.

 

“What did you do in the circus?”

 

“Unicorn,” the man whispered.

 

“You mean those white horses they brought out at the end?”

 

“No, a real unicorn.”

 

Tao laughed. “I highly doubt that. Well, whatever you took care of, I can see they didn’t take very good care of you. Do you have a name?”

 

“L…Yixing,” the man said and rubbed his wrist.

 

“Well, Yixing, you need to get cleaned and then clean my couch.” The man looked up at him confused. Tao only grinned and reached down and grabbed the hem of the man’s, Yixing’s, white shirt.

 

“St-stop,” the man protested.

 

Tao succeeded in getting the shirt off and the man covered himself before he could get a glance of what he looked like underneath. He moved his hands to the golden chain that rested on the man’s collarbone, a very define collarbone.

 

“You shouldn’t wear jewelry inside the shower,” he said grasping the thin chain of gold. His hand was slapped away and Tao tumbled back surprised.

 

“I can do it myself!” the man yelled, but Tao ignored him and slipped the gold chain off from the man’s neck.

 

A warm golden orange light suddenly wrapped around the man’s body and Tao dropped the chain. The light disappeared and Tao made the most unmanly noise he had ever made in his life when he saw what replaced the light. A lean white horse with a long brown mane highlighted with caramel lay against the couch. It whinnied and kicked its legs until it was standing. Tao squeaked again when he saw the long pearly colored horn protruding from its head and regretted bringing the man inside the apartment.

 


	4. “…his heart still had the energy to flutter.”

**Chapter 4 “…his heart still had the energy to flutter.”**

 

            There was a pain in Luhan’s neck when he shifted in his sleep that made him sit up quickly, alarmed. He held a hand over his neck as he looked around and realized he was in the living room sleeping on the uncomfortable beige leather couch Tao had insisted he buy. Certainly there had been perks since its purchase (dates he brought home didn’t automatically ask to go to his bedroom which made Luhan a bit more comfortable, but he still managed to freak out after anything more than a hand job was initiated). Luhan sighed and rubbed his fingers into his neck.

 

He was a good roommate.

 

At least that’s what Luhan tried to be. He still stayed up when Tao didn’t come home before two in the morning and didn’t call, though he knew there was really no use after three years of it. It was nice, though, having someone to wait up for.

 

He use to live with Sehun back when Luhan wasn’t a manager and they weren’t dating. Sehun’s parents had left their still under aged son in his care when they went back to South Korea. They dated after Sehun started making it in the adult modeling world and moved out as soon as he was old enough to, but there was all that tension in those few years. Luhan had wanted a little brother. Tao wasn’t his type and vice versa.

 

Luhan looked around for his phone. It was early, but later than he would have gotten up for work. Tao still hadn’t called, but Luhan didn’t expect him to. There weren’t police on his doorstep and Baekhyun hadn’t barged in. He was being stubborn.

 

There was a text from a number Luhan wasn’t familiar with.

 

**To: Manager**

**From: ************

**There was something on my contract**

**I wanted to go over.**

**\-- Jongin**

 

Jongin. Jongin. Luhan went over the name in his head. Where had he heard that name before? It was Korean and all Luhan’s Asian acquaintances he new well. Contract. Luhan looked down at the text again. To: Manager.

 

Luhan stood up, face flushing red. Kai, the new model he was put in charge of. It was the first time he had texted Luhan. Contract. They finalized that yesterday. What could Kai possibly want to talk about today?

 

Maybe he just wanted to meet up. It was Luhan’s day off.

 

Luhan flopped onto the couch, wincing at the pain of the hard cushion that smacked against his bottom. His mind was getting ahead of itself. Kai probably really did want to go over something on his contract. He seemed like the type to take his job seriously. That was probably why it had taken all week for them to compromise on the last portions of the contract. Luhan liked serious guys.

 

He dialed the number and waited for the nerve wracking pin of the line connection to end.

 

“Hello,” Kai said voice husky with a tinge of accent.

 

“Hello…Kai? You, uh, texted me about the contract. What was it you were concerned about?”

 

“Well, could we meet up and talk about it?”

 

Luhan pulled his legs up on the couch and laid his free hand between them, clenching the bottom of his sweat pants in his fist. “It’s my day off.”

 

“Oh, then how about you buy me lunch, Manager?” Kai said.

 

Luhan shivered. Was his mind just making up that teasing hiss in Kai’s voice?

 

“Yeah, of course. I’ll treat you to lunch.”

 

“Alright, I’ll meet you at that deli down the street from _Ace’s_ ,” Kais said then hung up the phone.

 

He was twenty-seven. Luhan couldn’t understand how his heart still had the energy to flutter.

 

Kai didn’t give him an exact time to meet up, so Luhan guessed noon and arrived at the deli an hour early with sweaty hands and hair still damp. Halfway through doing his hair, he had realized this wasn’t a date, just a meeting for work and he didn’t have to look good, just presentable, though he couldn’t help but add a splash to his clothes, trading slacks for black slimming jeans under his blazer and dress shirt.

 

Luhan looked up and down the sidewalk. It was almost twelve and he was going to call Kai if he didn’t appear soon. He caught sight of the pale gold skin model walking down his way and adjusted the hat he was using to cover up his still damp head then waved it to catch Kai’s attention.

 

“Oh,” Luhan said once Kai was right in front of him. The model was dressed comfortably in shorts and a loose dress shirt of white. “You look nice.”

 

A grin tugged at Kai’s full lips and Luhan blinked confused by the reaction. Was that a weird compliment?

 

“I’m a model, Manager; I’m supposed to look ‘nice’.”

 

Luhan looked down embarrassed. “Of course, I know that. Uh, shall we go in and get something to eat.”

 

Kai didn’t answer, but reached out and grabbed the silver rectangle of the door, opening it. “After you, Manager.”

 

Luhan walked up to the cashier and looked across the board of ‘healthy’ food the deli offered. Kai quickly pointed out what he wanted then brushed a hand along Luhan’s shoulder indicating he would get them a seat. The cashier asked what he wanted, but Luhan missed it focused on the heat that lingered from Kai’s touch.

 

He was so much younger. Twenty-three; the same age as Sehun. Sehun had mentioned they were friends when Luhan had walked past him flirting with one of photographers earlier that week. Luhan quickly grabbed their orders and went to the table Kai had chosen off in the corner.

 

“So, what was it you wanted to ask?” Luhan asked once they were settled with their food.

 

“Well, there were a few things,” Kai said, unwrapping his sandwich with firm fingertips that Luhan couldn’t help but imagine how they would feel pressing into him. They looked long enough to reach that spot.

 

Luhan took a sip of his tea and beaconed Kai to continue with his eyes.

 

“First, how should I call you by?”

 

“What do you mean? Just call me like you’ve been.”

 

“Manager? I should just call you by that. I called my last manager by his last name.”

 

Luhan frowned. “Oh, well, I don’t really have a last name. It’s just Lu Han.”

 

“Should I call you Mr. Lu?”

 

Luhan immediately shook his head. “No, I don’t like how that sounds. Luhan’s fine.”

 

Kai sat back in his seat and tapped his fingers against his lips. Luhan watched. They were fascinating and thick. It had been so long since he had even kissed someone. When was his last boyfriend again? Three months ago? Six?

 

“I know this is America, but I don’t feel comfortable referring to someone so much older than me simply by their name.”

 

It felt like a million rocks landed on Luhan’s shoulders. _So much older than me_. Well, sorry for Luhan not having control over which month his parents decided to have unprotected sex. He took a large bite of his sandwich.

 

“How about _hyung_?”

 

_Hyung_. Luhan hadn’t heard that since those few years he went to high school in North Korea. He smiled.

 

“I’m Chinese, though.”

 

Kai blinked, staring at Luhan as if he was truly surprised to hear that. “You spoke to me in Korean the other day.”

 

“Yeah, well, I know a few languages, but Kris knows like six. His tongue is like a machine or something.”

 

Kai laughed and it caught Luhan off guard. He blinked at Kai confused.

 

“And exactly how would you know how our boss’ tongue works?” He gave Luhan a suggestive glance.

 

Luhan made a face. “I have never in my life kissed Kris.”

 

“Really?” Kai asked and swirled the straw in his soda. “I heard you liked dating within your company. I heard you like dating your clients.”

 

Luhan opened and closed his mouth like a dying fish. He’d kill Sehun the next time he saw him, plus the other three workers he may or may not have kissed that still loitered about _Ace’s_.

 

“Luhan, your phone’s ringing.”

 

The sound of tinkling bells interrupted Luhan’s shocked state and he fumbled to fish out his phone in his pocket. There was a text from Tao that he had ignored earlier in retaliation for Tao ignoring him and then a missed call. He redialed only to get his roommate screaming in his ear.

 

“Luhan, there’s a fucking horse in our living room. Get your sore ass back here now!”

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

 

            Tao threw his phone on the couch then threw himself down beside it. Luhan said he would be there soon, but soon wasn’t fast enough especially with the ‘Is everything okay’ Tao had heard before Luhan hung up. Normally, Tao would be ecstatic with Luhan getting some ass, but not when there was an actual ass trotting around the living room.

 

No, asses were donkeys.

 

This was a horse.

 

That’s what’ Tao decided when he calmed down long enough to actually look at the horse. The horn was pretty convincing, but there was no way it could be real. If Tao wasn’t dead scare of getting too close to the horse, he would have tried to pull it off, but it looked sharp and those hooves looked deadly.

 

Why was there a horse in the living room again?

 

Tao was going crazy. That was the only answer to all of this he could come up with and Luhan seemed to agree before he hung up. That, or he was still drunk or dead and this was some strange purgatory before the fires of hell consumed him because heaven should have been a lot less mindfucking to get into.

 

Why had the hot guy turned into a horse?

 

Tao kicked his legs and whined. He could have had one of those rags to riches stories playing the fairy godmother, but he couldn’t turn a horse into Cinderella. The horse laid its head on the back of the couch next to Tao. Tao stiffened.

 

How much longer until Luhan got here?

 

They stayed together in silence, Tao and the horse. Its head was close to Tao’s shoulder and he shifted his eyes to glance at it. It really did look real. That circus must have spent all their money on this horse and that was why it was so crappy – a horse that refused to even come out of its cage.

 

Tao didn’t bring home a horse though. It was really starting to bother him. The horse still smelled like the man, but there was no way he could have gotten a horse into the elevators without someone vocally freaking out better yet into the taxi cab. Maybe he was still hung over.

 

It whinnied and Tao jumped. He held his arms over his face and peaked through the gap between them. Really, he hadn’t been this close to a horse since he was in elementary. He hadn’t been scared of it then when the horse was three times his size. This horse wasn’t too much taller than Tao, and he thought, with a good saddle, he could easily mount it. Tao wasn’t a fan of horse riding.

 

Tao shooed it away, but the horse only whinnied and moved his face closer to Tao. Okay, maybe it wasn’t so scary. He lifted his hand and the horse immediately looked at him directly.

 

“No, no moving,” Tao said and glared at the horse as if he could control it that way. He moved his hand until the tips of his fingers grazed the amazingly soft bangs that shadowed large brown eyes. Tao carefully twirled his fingers into the hair. It was such a pretty coffee color with the random chestnut locks. It was a weird shade for the mane of a white horse to be. Probably dyed, but Tao couldn’t see any white or gray at the roots.

 

A sort of purr sound escaped the horse and Tao blinked surprised. He didn’t know horses could purr. He looked into those large brown eyes. They looked so…innocent. Or did all animals look innocent. Tao didn’t think so. Animals didn’t have such thoughts of whether they were innocent or not, they were all just animals with instincts. There was a sort of intelligence in those eyes.

 

“You’re creeping me out,” Tao said and looked away.

 

They relapsed back into a stiffened silence. Thirty minutes later, Tao heard a knock on the door.

 

“Tao, I’m coming it and you better not be walking around the apartment naked.”

 

“That was one time,” Tao called out. He glanced beside him and his eyes went wide seeing the horse. Oh yeah, he had forgotten about that. Tao jumped off the couch and reached the door just as Luhan finally opened it. He slammed it back closed.

 

“Hey, what’s the big idea, Tao? You demanded I come home, why can’t I come inside?”

 

“I have to talk to you for a second first,” Tao said and cracked the door opened.

 

Luhan stood outside dressed cutely. His arms were crossed on his chest and he pouted at Tao. Sometimes he really didn’t look like a twenty-seven year old. Actually, he didn’t look like a twenty-four year old either when they first met.

 

“Okay, I was serious about the horse thing.”

 

Luhan held up his hands about a foot apart from each other. “You mean you brought home a horse statue and you don’t remember getting it?”

 

Tao shook his head. “No, it’s real and it’s a long bigger than that.”

 

Luhan held a hand above his knee, eyes wide. “You brought home a pony?”

 

Tao growled. “No, a horse, Luhan, a horse.” He held his own hand above his head.

 

Luhan’s eyes followed the motion and then he glared at Tao. “You’re so dead if it shitted everywhere.”

 

Tao held the door opened for Luhan to slip through. He carefully closed it cringing when he heard Luhan scream.

 

“Holy shit! There’s a horse in the living room!”

 

Tao turned and walked over to his roommate pulling him a few steps back from the horse that had lifted its head from the back of the couch. “I told you there was a horse.”

 

“I didn’t believe you,” Luhan said softly then turned and smacked Tao’s head. “Why in the world would you bring home a horse?”

 

Tao rubbed his head. “I didn’t bring home a horse, I brought home a man.”

 

“And he had a horse?” Luhan asked confused.

 

Tao sighed. “You’re going to think I’m crazy.”

 

“I already do.”

 

“Well, you know about yesterday already. So, I woke up on the beach and there was this guy who worked at the circus passed out under the bridge so I decided to bring him home because he didn’t look so good. I mean he was good looking, but like battered up.”

 

“Okay,” Luhan said, “so where’s the guy?”

 

Tao motioned over to the horse. Luhan followed his movement.

 

“Behind the horse?”

 

“He turned into the horse,” Tao said regretting it.

 

“You’re a lying bast—” before Luhan could finish, the horse neighed and trotted to the side of the couch. It bent its head down and poked at the gold necklace Tao had pulled off it.

 

 “Oh, hey, it has a horn,” Luhan said.

 

“You just now noticed that? I think it wants something.” Tao moved and kneeled, picking up the gold chain. “You want this back?”

 

“What is that?” Luhan asked.

 

Tao inspected the simple gold chain in his hands. “It’s the necklace I took off it when it was a man then it turned into this.”

 

“Well, put it back on, maybe you’re not crazy,” Luhan offered.

 

Tao peaked over at his roommate. “If it does, then this is a pretty impressive illusion.”

 

The horse bowed its head in front of Tao as if understanding what was happening. Tao carefully draped it over the creature’s neck. Those lights swirled around it again and Tao stumbled back into Luhan.

 

Luhan’s voice was whispery against Tao’s neck. “I take back calling you a liar.”

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

 

            They sat in the living room together as the man, Yixing, ran off to take the shower Tao had been trying to force him into before the whole fiasco with the horse. Luhan and he sat quietly next to each other fiddling with their phones. Well, Tao was fiddling, Luhan was eagerly typing away on his. Tao peaked over a few times to see the elder either texting someone or surfing the internet about unicorns. It wasn’t long before the man walked out in only a towel.

 

“Um, do you have something I could change into?” the man asked. Yixing.

 

Luhan shrugged. “Asked Tao, he seems to think it’s natural to walk around naked.”

 

Tao growled, “That was once!”

 

His roommate didn’t bother to look at him still on his phone. “I forgot to point out you’re in your bathrobe.”

 

Tao looked down and frowned. Luhan was right. “I’ll go get us both clothes, just sit down.” He moved past the man and went to his bedroom quickly changing into clothes himself and grabbing a set of old jeans and a t-shirt to give to the man. Yixing.

 

“Go change into these then come right back out. We need to talk.”

 

The man nodded and disappeared into the bathroom again.

 

“Who are you texting?” Tao asked.

 

“No one,” Luhan said, “just people from work.”

 

“You mean like that good looking model you were put in charge of? You were on a date with him, weren’t you?”

 

Luhan turned to his roommate with a frown. “No, no I wasn’t. We were talking business. He had a question about the contract.”

 

“And what was the question?” Tao prodded.

 

By the red that flushed on the elder man’s cheeks, Tao could tell.

 

The man came back into the living room, Tao’s clothes fitting him well. He stood before the both of them looking awkward. Luhan put his phone away and looked between them expectantly. Tao sighed.

 

“Okay, so you told me you worked for the circus I went to, but you don’t want to go back, they treat you badly.”

 

The man, Yixing, nodded.

 

“Treated him badly?” Luhan turned to look at the man. “What did they do?”

 

“My…My Master’s boss got angry often because I wouldn’t go out of the cage.”

 

“Master?” Luhan asked.

 

“Probably the ringleader. So, what, they beat you because you didn’t feel like performing your stupid magic trick? You can sue them for that, you know. Just because you have a really awesome illusion you can perform doesn’t mean they can treat you like you’re not human,” Tao ranted.

 

“I’m not human,” Yixing said.

 

Tao frowned. That wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

 

“Well, you’re definitely not a horse,” Luhan said, “…um, what’s your name?”

 

“L—”

 

“His name’s Yixing,” Tao interrupted.

 

The man ran a hand through his long hair, pushing it back and glanced at Tao. “I’m a unicorn. You already saw, shall I do it again?”

 

Tao stood up suddenly and reached out grabbing the man’s gold chain. It was wet and slipped around his fingers. He moved his face close to Yixing’s and gritted his teeth. “There’s no way you can be a unicorn. Stop lying to me.”

 

“Tao!” Luhan exclaimed and stood up from the couch. “Let go of him.”

 

Tao turned and glared at his roommate. “You can’t possibly believe him, Luhan, you’re almost thirty!”

 

Luhan glared back. “What does my age have to do with anything? I can believe in magic if I want, and we both just watched him change.”

 

“It was an illusion. He’s some kind of con artist or something.”

 

“I’ll…go now,” the man said and stepped back yanking the gold chain in Tao’s hand.

 

Tao looked at him, unsure what to make of the shadow Yixing’s hair made over hi eyes. He seemed weak and pathetic. Horses weren’t weak and pathetic, they were strong graceful creatures. He dropped the chain.

 

“No, I brought you here, you’re my responsibility. Just stay until that circus leaves. I can’t let you go back to getting physically abused like that.” He reached out and grabbed Yixing’s wrist. The man tried to pull away. Tao’s eyes widened. There weren’t any marks anymore; wrists completely creamy smooth and unmarked. He through Yixing’s wrist down and waved at Luhan.

 

“I’m going to go work, he can sleep with you.”

 

“Tao! You said he was your responsibility,” Luhan yelled after him.

 

Tao shut his door and locked it. He slumped his back against is and sighed.

 

A unicorn. Weren’t only virgins supposed to come across those?

 

Tao laughed and pulled out his phone. Maybe he could contact Baekhyun.


	5. “…; he couldn’t even comfort himself.”

**Chapter 5 “…; he couldn’t even comfort himself.”**

 

                Tao came into work haggard, hung-over, and full Monday morning. He had spent Saturday night with Baekhyun and then all of Sunday maxing out the emergency card Kris had given him when he was still frivolous with money. He hadn’t seen much of that man, Yixing, but there had been breakfast that morning in his and Luhan’s kitchen and the couch had been wiped down. When had been the last time Tao woke up to the smell of a handmade breakfast?

 

It was an American breakfast of hotcakes and bacon, but Tao wasn’t complaining.

 

Luhan tried to cook once. What was supposed to be a meal of kimchi stew and vegetable pancakes for welcoming Tao to the apartment turned into a burnt mess of mush and slightly seasoned thick water. Tao never allowed Luhan to cook for him or anyone ever again.

 

Did that man cook? Yixing.

 

If only he would stop saying he was a unicorn, it might be actually nice to have him around. There was no such thing as unicorns and no such thing as dreams. There was only life and luck. And both of those were slim. Tao wondered what Luhan had been doing with Yixing while Tao wasn’t there. Did they become friends? Did they hit it off as more than that? The new model would be sad to hear that.

 

It was one of those rare days where Tao came to work on time, or better yet, early. He had been knocked out by the large bottle of wine he had locked himself in his bedroom with when he came home the night before. There had been a plan to work on the portfolio Kris had assigned him, but all he had gotten where two sketches of peacock feathers and a scribbled mess.

 

But, that was last week, and this was a new week. A fire, sleeping with Baekhyun twice in one week, and housing a magician had to count as his three strokes of bad luck. It was time for something good, like a cup of ramen on his desk at lunch served up by the boss.

 

Tao paused in the lobby of _Ace’s_.

 

Maybe the circus fire didn’t count as a bad thing.

 

“Tao, hey, I didn’t expect to see you first.”

 

Tao shifted his backpack and continued walking trying to pretend like he hadn’t heard the round faced journalist talking to the receptionist. The other man’s feet were faster and he was in front of Tao before he could even reach the doors of the elevator. He smiled brightly, hair longer and lighter since the last time Tao had seen him, which he hadn’t seen him very well as they had been across the room from each other.

 

“It’s been a while, Tao.”

 

“Kris should be up in his office, Mr. Kim.” Tao replied.

 

The journalist laughed. “You don’t have to call me that, I said already. You’re like Kris’ little brother, so I would like it if we could get closer. It’s been a year and I barely know any more than what Kris tells me.”

 

Tao adjusted his sun glasses. “What he says is probably a lot.”

 

“Well, I would rather hear stuff from the person themselves. Since it’s still early, if you don’t dislike me, how about we grab some coffee from across the street?”

 

Tao didn’t dislike this man. He liked him quiet a bit, or at least he had until last year. Minseok Kim was one of the most pleasant journalists you could get. He had a way of digging out just what he needed without making the situation awkward, and you came out of any interview with him feeling warm inside. Tao knew this from his own experience. Minseok had still been an undiscovered journalist picking up interviews the others didn’t want. He had interviewed Tao after he was starred in a very small show in his last year of college. Tao hated interviews back then, he still did, but Minseok’s broken Chinese spoken in an attempt to make Tao more comfortable made him laugh and he was grateful. He had suggested Kris ask for the journalist when his interview for the _10_ _Most Eligible Bachelors_ column came up.

 

He regretted suggesting him.

 

They were getting married in the fall.

 

Tao sighed. “Alright, I haven’t gotten my coffee yet anyways.”

 

Minseok smiled brightly and hooked his arm with Tao’s. “I’ll treat you.”

 

Tao allowed himself to be led out of _Ace’s_ and across the street to the coffee shop. It had been over a year since Kris and Minseok had met. Tao hadn’t even known they’d started dating until he walked in on them in the boss’ office and then the shorter round faced man was everywhere. It had never accord to Tao that Kris would ever get married. He mentioned it one day when Tao had finally gotten his boss to have coffee with him. Kris had gone to the wedding with a potential business partner in winter. It was his daughter’s getting married. To another woman. Kris had brought up the idea of proposing to Minseok then. Tao had said Kris was too young. Kris told him he was the same age as Luhan and Minseok and Tao called both of them old.

 

Tao hadn’t been pleased about it, but he wanted his boss to be happy. A happy boss meant he could slack off at work.

 

“What do you want?” Minseok asked once they were at the register.

 

“A tall iced Americano…scratch that, give me a double shot java chip frappuccino with all the toppings. The biggest one you have.”

 

Minseok blinked at him then laughed and dug out his wallet. “You have a sweet tooth today. I’ll have a green tea of the same; skip all the toppings and skim milk, please.”

 

“Trimming down?” Tao commented.

 

Minseok grimaced. “Well, I can’t say no when Kris wants to go to expensive restaurants unexpectantly. I have to watch my weight somewhere with the wedding and everything.”

 

Tao moved over to wait for his drink.

 

The wedding. Kris has mentioned pushing it up.

 

They took a seat at Tao’s favorite spot. “The wedding’s still in November?”

 

“Kris asked about moving it to July. I don’t think I’m ready for it to be that soon.”

 

Tao pulled his straw out and licked off the whip cream. “Getting cold feet?”

 

“No, I just have family that I don’t think can make it until the fall…or at least they won’t change their minds that soon.”

 

That was right. Just because you could be something didn’t mean others wanted you to.

 

“Fuck them if they don’t,” Tao said.

 

“You have such a colorful language. Kris said you didn’t cuss quite this much until you came to America.”

 

Tao shrugged and peaked up. He could see the grateful look the other man gave him. It wasn’t like he was trying to comfort Minseok; he couldn’t even comfort himself.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

 

            The photo shoot area was in chaos. Interns and photographers rushed around as props and sets kept falling down. Tao wondered who actually was in charge of this area for it to always be on the brink of disaster. There were only three designers at _Ace’s_ including Tao along with a couple guest designers here and there and their job was only to say what they were looking for in a shoot. It was someone else’s job to get the shoot ready. Tao looked around and saw their two exclusively signed models sitting off in a corner drinking tea. He clicked his loafers over to them.

 

“You two look comfortable.

 

Sehun looked up and smiled calmly at Tao. “Chaos is like a blanket to me. I could fall asleep wrapped in it.”

 

Tao frowned and turned to the other model. “What about you?”

 

Kai slowly sipped his tea. “I’m here to stand around and look good.”

 

“You’re not standing.”  
  


Kai took another sip and then stood. Tao laughed.

 

“So, Kai, where’s Luhan?”

 

“You’re not asking me this time?” Sehun asked feigning surprise.

 

Tao glanced at Sehun and grinned. “He’s not your manager anymore. Plus, you would know Luhan the best. So, Kai, where is he?”

 

“He ran to the bathroom after we continued our discussion from Saturday.”

 

“What did you discuss?” Tao asked.

 

“I asked him to sleep with him,” Kai answered.

 

Tao sighed. “You can’t ask him so bluntly. He’s like a deer; he’ll run if you startle him.”

 

Kai raised a brow. “Sehun said he had dated a lot of people he worked with.”

 

Sehun nodded beside Kai.

 

Tao really couldn’t argue. Luhan had a track record for falling for the wrong men, but he was still a twenty-seven year old virgin. “He’s a virgin. I think he’s had like three hand jobs from other people his entire life.”

 

Sehun raised his hand. “I was one of those.”

 

The new model frowned. “He seems really uncomfortable around me. I thought maybe it was sexual tension.”

 

“It is,” Tao and Sehun said in unison.

 

“Then we can just sleep together,” Kai said and lifted his tea up for another sip.

 

“No, no, Luhan won’t admit it, but when it comes to romance he’s a girl. You have to know when to treat him like a man and when to sweep him off his feet.”

 

“He sounds complicated,” Kai said.

 

“He is,” Tao and Sehun said again together. Tao glared at Sehun.

 

Kai lowered his cup and looked up at the ceiling. Tao followed his line of sight. There was a broken ceiling tile above their heads. He should probably inform Kris about it the next time he ran into him.

 

“It might be fun,” Kai finally said and finished his drink.

 

Tao nodded. Fun wasn’t exactly the word he had hoped to hear when describing the seduction of his roommate, but maybe Kai was a bit concerned about his manager. He had realized how uncomfortable Luhan was around him, a serious, gorgeous, younger guy. He adjusted the glasses he had opted to wear today instead of contacts and waved toward the hall.

 

“How about you go bring him here for me to talk with. I have some things to go over with him concerning the line of clothes Kris put me in charge of. You’re going to be the model for them.”

 

Kai nodded and handed Sehun his empty tea mug before weaving through the chaos of the shooting area. Tao took over his seat and leaned his head back, eyes closed.

 

“You were late again today,” Sehun said.

 

Tao licked his lips and rubbed his temple. “I was early, I was just having coffee with a reporter then I decided just to stay there and work. The shoot was scheduled ten minutes ago, I’m not that late, and it’s not even up and running yet.”  
  


“You’re pretty defensive when you actually do something you’re supposed to,” Sehun said.

 

“And you’re not going to be around as much. I heard you got yourself a run in France.”

 

“It’s a minor run. Some Italian designer saw me and wanted me in his show in France. I’ll be hanging around there for a month.”

 

Tao nodded and tried to nap. He was starting to realize why he had stopped waking up early. He use to wake up early all the time.

 

“Hey, can I ask you for a favor?”

 

“What?” Tao asked.

 

“Make sure Luhan doesn’t loose what he’s kept so preciously halfheartedly. Kai’s a good idea, but he’s more for making people feel better and not about making love.”

 

Tao opened his eyes. Luhan and Kai had just entered. He turned to Sehun and frowned at the soft look in his eyes. “You still care about him.”

 

“Of course I do, he’s like my elder brother. You would understand that kind of thing wouldn’t you, with you and Kris?”

 

Tao chewed on the side of his tongue to ease the sudden heat that ran into the back of his throat. “Let’s not talk about Kris and me. It’s different.”

 

Luhan and Kai came over. Luhan ruffled Sehun’s hair before looking at Tao curiously. “What did you want?”

 

Tao stood and grabbed Luhan’s wrist leading him away from the two models. “What did you do with that guy?”

 

“Who? Yixing? Oh, nothing much. He seemed sort of depressed, probably because you ran out. Mostly he just sat quietly in a corner of my room while I worked and slept on the couch.”

 

“You didn’t let him sleep on your bed?” Tao said.

 

Luhan made a face. “No one’s allowed on my bed, remember. I was surprised he could handle sleeping on that couch, it’s really uncomfortable.”

 

“Where is he now?” Tao asked.

 

“Oh, you left before me. That was surprising. Well, he made breakfast then came and sat in my room. When I got ready to work, I left him on the couch with the television remote. I gave him our phone numbers and our work address encase something happened.”

 

“I doubt he’ll burn the apartment down if he’s the one that made breakfast, and unless he turns back into a horse, he shouldn’t break anything, so why did you give him our numbers and work address. Just give him yours,” Tao complained.

 

“You’re the one that brought him into the apartment in the first place. But, really, what are we going to do with him?”

 

 “He had bruises,” Tao said.

 

“I didn’t see any.”

 

“I know, but when I first found him, they were definitely there.”

 

“Maybe just makeup,” Luhan offered.

 

Tao shook his head. He had touched them, they weren’t makeup. “Just until the circus is gone then we’ll throw him into the streets or whatever. We need to get this photo shoot started, find the person in charge.”

 

“Tao,” Luhan said as Tao turned to walk away, “I really think he was telling the truth.”

 

Tao stopped and took a deep breath. “If that man really is a unicorn, then I will devote my whole portfolio to unicorns.”

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            The shoot started thirty minutes late and ended an hour after Tao’s official lunch break. Kai and Sehun were still in their makeup chairs getting the dark black makeup off their eyes that were supposed to compliment the close and sets Tao had been put in charge of. Tao hadn’t thought such dark makeup was necessary, but he didn’t have a say about makeup yet. Not until he was the head designer. It was then that he got a call from the front desk.

 

“Mr. Haung, there’s someone here to see you. I told him that you were busy, but he just asked when you wouldn’t be. I waited until the shoot was done before calling.”

 

“How long as he been there?” Tao asked.

 

“An hour.”

 

Tao frowned and thought of who could be down in the lobby. Baekhyun would have just walked in. He had been in a few shoots at _Ace’s_ when watches were added to the collection. It could have been one of Tao’s many ‘lovers’, not that he considered them that, just sometimes it was beneficial to sleep with a guy more than once. He made sure to tell any guy he spent a night or a quick go with not to come to his work.

 

Who else could it be?

 

“What do they look like?”

 

It took a few seconds for the receptionist to respond. “They have brown hair tied up in a bun, sharp gentle face, they’re actually quite good looking and I think their wearing one of your shirts. I think you wore that one last month, it’s very stylish.”

 

Tao frowned. “Anything else?”

 

“Oh, they have two lunch boxes. One’s a Bambi lunchbox and the other’s Kung Fu Panda.”

 

“I’ll be done in five minutes,” Tao said and pocketed his cellphone. He went to the break room and found Luhan going over a document stirring a Styrofoam cup of coffee. “Do you own lunchboxes?”

 

Luhan looked up then blushed a bit. “Don’t remind me about my attempts to cook for you. I bought them to make us lunches for work, but after that first fiasco…I though I hid them away well.”

 

“Yixing found them. It seems he brought us lunch.”

 

Luhan’s eyes glazed over and Tao could hear his stomach grumble. “How nice, but I have a meeting in ten minutes and I still have some of this document to go over with them before then. Can you go get the food?”

 

“I’m going to go send him away,” Tao said and quickly left.

 

The elevator ride down to the lobby was quick and Tao hoped that the person waiting wasn’t Yixing. He would take an assassin over the unicorn man any day. He was disappointed when he saw the attractive figure of the man he had found under the beach bridge.

 

Yixing caught sight of him and bowed slightly. Tao couldn’t help but return the gesture though it had been years since he had done that without reminding himself he had to.

 

 “I…wasn’t sure when you would be home. There wasn’t a lot of food so I brought what I could make,” Yixing said and held out the two lunchboxes toward Tao.

 

Tao ignored them. “We can eat just fine ourselves.”

 

“Luhan said you two always ate out. You don’t like homemade food?”

 

Tao thought he heard a tinge of sadness in the man’s voice, but when he looked up, Yixing’s face was blank. “I…haven’t had it in a while.”

 

Yixing held out the two lunchboxes again. Tao took them and peeked inside. Sandwiches and little bags with their leftover ships; it was like an American elementary schooler’s lunchbox.

 

“What, no juice box?” Tao asked.

 

Yixing jumped, eyes widening. “Did I forget to put the drinks in? I think I forgot to but napkins too. I’ll go get them now.” Yixing took a step back. Tao took note of the arm he lifted almost like a shield.

 

“I’m…I’m not going to beat you,” Tao said.

 

“I…I know, it’s reflex,” Yixing answered. “I’ll go back now.”

 

“Do you know the way back?” Tao asked.

 

Yixing nodded. “I walked here.”

 

Right. Tao usually didn’t walk all the way, he took the subway or on days he was really late, a cab. It was an hour’s walk from the apartment.

 

“Did you lock the door when you left?” Tao asked.

 

“Yes,” Yixing answered and Tao laughed.

 

“You don’t have a key to get back inside. I’d be a bad person if I let you sit outside my apartment until I got home. Luhan’s in a meeting, you can have his share. We’ll go to my office.”

 

The man nodded and followed Tao to the elevator.          

 

“So, are you still keeping to the story that you’re a unicorn?” Tao asked as the elevator started its ascent.

 

“Luhan said I shouldn’t mention that around you. Since you took me in, I rather not make you angry. I’m thankful to you.”

 

Tao nodded and pulled out his cellphone. He was supposed to meet with textile in twenty minutes. “How old are you?”

 

“Human years? I’ll be twenty-five.”

 

Human years. “So you’re older than me. I’ll be twenty-four.”

 

There was silence for a while. It felt awkward. It had been a while since Tao had cared enough to feel awkward in an elevator. “Oh, you didn’t have to make breakfast this morning.”

 

“I want to be useful.”

 

“It was good. Can you only make American food?”

 

“I was born in China. I can make Korean, Chinese, American, and a few Japanese dishes.”

 

“Are all those places somewhere your circus traveled?” Three floors left.

 

“No, I was captured by the ring leader when I came to America. I’ve only been in the circus for over a year.”

 

“Where did all your bruises go?” Tao glanced back to see Yixing’s wrists still clean of marks.

 

“The answer will make you angry.”

 

Magic?

 

The elevator dinged onto Tao’s floor. The tenth floor.

 

“I don’t believe in magic,” Tao said.

 

Yixing walked past him to get out of the elevator and turned to face Tao. His expression was serious and it took Tao off guard. “Most people don’t.”

 

The elevator doors started to close.

 

Tao slipped between them.


	6. “…and he was on the 'classy' street.”

**Chapter 6 “…and he was on the 'classy' street.”**

 

 

            His office had become a disaster comparative of the photo shoot area. It wasn’t that Yixing was clumsy or made his office anymore messy than it already was, he was just frustrating. Tao didn’t care for assistance. While the other designers had assistants, Tao had Luhan and that was all the help he was willing to ask for, but Yixing wanted to be “helpful.” He sharpened Tao’s pencils (and a few of his pens). He got Tao coffee (and added too many sugars). He delivered some documents (and had to ask six times where he was going again.) Eventually Tao just told him to sit and mark pages out of an old fashion magazine. And Luhan’s lunch went uneaten. Until Luhan came.

 

Luhan was harassing him.

 

Every time Kai approached his manager, Luhan would run to Tao and tease him about Yixing who followed him around when he finally emerged from his office. Tao was almost happy when it turned out Luhan’s sandwich had already gone bad. It was funny when Kai went to help Luhan with his tongue stuck out trying to wipe off the bad taste. Eventually he had gotten Yixing and Luhan talking and was able to sneak over to the coffee shop and finish his work before Kris stopped by him to demand what Tao’s ideas for the theme of his portfolio.

 

The only word that stayed on Tao’s lips after all day was ‘Unicorn.’ Kris looked at him as if he hadn’t understood what Tao had said. Unicorn. Tao had to think quickly in order to make sense of the word he had spouted, shitting nonsense about purity and masculinity and dreams to his boss. Kris’s only response had been ‘that’s different.’ What did that mean? Was that good or bad? He should try to come up with something more his style before the next time Kris approached him about it Tao knew jus the place to go for inspiration and to relieve his stress.

 

Tao stepped out of the doors of _Ace’s_ confident on a Monday night. He glared straight forward through his black rimmed glasses and headed down the street to where the cabs waited on the busy corner. It was warm and the hot streetlights offered the promise of a self-loathing Tuesday morning; Tao’s favorite weekday mornings.

 

Self loathing was a lot easier to chew than hating other people. At least for breakfast.

 

Tao held a hand out as he came to the end of the street and waved at the cabs waiting to see which one would be the first to rev up. There were others ahead and behind Tao with the same intentions and it was a race to get into a yellow or checkered car door before the heater inside had even started doing its job.

 

A lady slipped past Tao into the first taxi cab. Tao turned and pushed by a struggling business man to get the second cab. He waved haughtily at the man as the cab started down the road.

 

“Where to?”

 

Tao dug his phone out and turned it off. “The club district, I’ll walk to the specific building myself.”

 

“Alright,” the cabby said. “He, aren’t you that charity guy that took the guy that smelled like manure home?”

 

Tao frowned. Could he possibly get Kris to invest in a personal driver and let Tao borrow it?

 

“How’s the guy doing?” the cabby continued.

 

“Fine I guess,” Tao answered. Why did they always hire friendly guys to drive these cars? He lived in New York, not out at the country market.

 

“Did you let him go home?”

 

“He doesn’t have one. I decided to make him my human pet. I give him food and a roof over his head and he lets me and my roommate fuck him.”

 

By the way the car suddenly came to the red light with a large jerk; Tao knew he had officially stopped any conversations between him and the cabby.

 

They drove silently the rest of the way until warm light turned into flashing lights. Tao’s eyes widened watching the neon and colored signs of the club district. He could remember the first time he had ventured out here and into the world of suave drinks and sex on the dance floor. He had gotten into a fight with Kris and ran, taking a subway all the way until something had told him to stop. He was two weeks from his first day of college. The bustling life on these streets was overwhelming compared to the one he had semi-been a part of in China. It was thrilling. He slept with his first man since loosing his virginity that night; a guy twenty years his senior.

 

Tao was hopping for someone a little younger this time, but he was looking for the same thrill. He had woken up disgusted, but satisfied more than anything. As long as he got a fraction of satisfaction, Tao continued.

 

There were two places Tao liked to frequent, one on the classy side and another on the streets where a straight man was easy to spot. He wasn’t looking for fun tonight, so when the cabby dropped him off, Tao walked in the direction of one million dollar business women. Tao held his head up high as he walked. He let others look at him first, women, men, it didn’t matter here, he took all their looks. They gave him the courage to beat down the nausea of nerves. He was still young. The only stares he met where the serious ones, not just the passing thoughts about “oh, good looking guy,” or “nice jacket.”

 

Tao was full of it by the time he reached the doors of his favorite bar. There had only been about three stares worth anything, but it was Monday and he was on the ‘classy’ street. His favorite bars name was _EXO Planet_. It was the one he had found himself stumbling in the first time he had ventured down here. The lighting inside was low with black on everything but the small dance floor. It was too small to be a club, really. Tao thought it was cozy.

 

The music was soft when Tao entered. He closed his eyes to take it all in, the smell of dark drinks and almost too warm atmosphere. Today it was just a bar; on the weekend it was almost a club.

 

“Are you coming in or not?”

 

Tao looked up to see the cook and sometimes busboy cleaning up a table. He smiled and walked over to him. His eyes widened twice as big as they originally were as he tried to wave Tao away. Tao grabbed his face and planted a wet kiss on his forehead. The man frowned.

 

“Do you really have to do that every time?” he asked.

 

“It’s fun to watch Jun Ma Hao get jealous. You told me that’s the only time he’ll fulfill all your little kinky fantasies, Kyungsoo.”

 

Kyungsoo sighed. “He did enough of that last night; I almost didn’t come to work. Did you know he had a whip? I didn’t know he had a whip.”

 

Tao laughed and patted Kyunsoo’s shoulder. Kyungsoo had only been working at _EXO Planet_ two years ago starting as just a busboy and taking over the cooking duties. He had used catching the eye of the manager to get the position, but Tao didn’t judge; Kyungsoo cooked better than most ‘top chefs’. Tao adjusted Kyungsoo’s tag on his shirt. D.O. Kyungsoo Do. D.O was easier for the Americans to say.

 

“I’m headed to the bar.” Tao slapped Kyungsoo’s butt as he passed.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            “I’m cutting you off.”

 

Tao looked up from where he rested his head on the black top of the bar. His glasses were skewed and he adjusted them then ran his finger through his hair making his already mused locks stick up with the remnants of whisky on his fingers. There was a man standing in front of him made of smiles and crisp collars. Tao blinked at him then groaned.

 

“What do you want, Junmyeon?”

 

The man’s smile grew larger. “I said I’m cutting you off. If you drink anymore, you’ll look too bad for any ‘proper’ man to take you home.”

 

Tao looked down at the half empty bottle of whiskey and the three shot glasses he had been switching between as a kind of game.

 

“I’m not drunk yet.” He opened the bottle and poured himself another drink.

 

Junmyeon grabbed his glass away and picked up the bottle with his other hand. “I said I’m cutting you off. It’s only Monday.”

 

Tao frowned and looked away. “Kyungsoo said you have a whip.”

 

He heard the sound of glass clinking as Junmyeon put away the whiskey. It was the third time Tao had come to _EXO Planet_ that he meant the manager. It was a weekend and he was drunk and it was the closest to dangerous he had ever been. Junmyeon had had to grab him before he whacked the sleazy guy that had been trying to slip him drugs over the head with the light stand that had originally been across the room, swinging it around in the air in a display of what he would do if the guy didn’t get out of his sight in the next ten seconds. Then he ended up sleeping with Junmyeon. They both regretted it.

 

“He was flirting with a man I’ve known to drug his interests. You’ve never done any sort of pain play before?”

 

“I’m a get to the point man,” Tao answered and shivered at the thought of physically hurting himself. Emotions were a lot more fun.

 

“I think there’s someone here with your taste.”

 

Tao perked up and leaned forward on the bar. “Is he wearing a suit?”

 

Junmyeon shook his head. “Black slacks and a short sleeved silk shirt, Maybe a jacket.”

 

“Sounds sleazy.” Tao reached out and tilted one of his remaining shot glasses on its edge.

 

“He’s not blonde.”

 

“That’s a point.”

 

“Maybe ten years older than you.”

 

“He still could be a rich man’s sun and not a rich man.”

 

“And by the way he’s talking to the other men he’s with, he’s Chinese.”

 

A smirk pulled at Tao’s lips. “Foreign businessman, I haven’t had one of those in a long time.”

 

“The only down side is he’s shorter than you.”

 

Tao shrugged. “That didn’t stop you.”

 

“I thought we agreed not to talk about that. I don’t do one night stands often, but that was definitely the worse one I’ve ever had.”

 

Tao lifted his empty shot glass at Junmyeon. “I second that.”

 

“Oh, seems like the business party is coming to a close.”

 

“Hurry, bring me something dark and classy.”

 

“And something lighter to charm, I know how you work, Zitao.”

 

Junmyeon waved a hand to bring Kyungsoo over to the bar, hands sliding against his waist and coming to stay for a few seconds just over the center of his butt cheeks – a promise of more of the night before to his lover. Tao smirked when Kyungsoo jumped and bowed his head as Junmyeon passed. He started to mix Tao’s drink while the actual bartender was busy.

 

Tao tapped his fingers on the bar counting the seconds that way. He didn’t have the tail like a leopard to swish back and forth as it waited for its prey, but he thought he did pretty well. It was different for men, especially gay men. It had to be obvious what you wanted, every intention said in one glance. Girls could be coy; Tao didn’t have time for that. Tao’s fingers stopped tapping on the bar and he closed his eyes. He listened to the softened laughs from the bar, the scurrying of feet and goodbyes in the back said in broken English and Chinese. There. The quiet spot. Tao slowly turned his head and glanced. The man was already looking his way, but not at him. His hair was sandy, as if he had dyed it, but was now letting it fade to its original black. He wasn’t short, but Tao figured he would still be taller. His arms peaking out of those short sleeves looked lean and wired. Tao blinked. Their eyes met. ‘I’ll buy you a drink if you take me home. We both could use some stress relief’ his eyes said. The man stared one second too long and Tao knew it was a yes. He turned back just in time to take his drink from Kyungsoo.   

 

“He’s pretty handsome,” Kyungsoo commented.

 

“What matters if he’s a good fuck, that’s all.” Tao took a sip then glare down where Junmyeon stood at the other end of the bar. His drink as mostly coke.

 

Tao took another sip of the bland drink. He sat there, the chill up his back telling him the man was getting closer. The chill stopped when he felt feet click to a stop behind him. He took a longer sip as the man leaned over the chair beside Tao then slipped into it.

 

“Name?” the man asked, accent thick.

 

“Zitao, _yours_?” Tao asked.

 

“ _Hangeng, you look pretty young.”_

 

_“You look pretty young, too, for being a business man.” Tao_ waved at Kyungsoo and he brought over the other man’s drink.

 

Hangeng chuckled and swirled his glass. “ _I’m not really. I’m having a concert here with the rest of my company.”_

 

_“You’re a musician?”_

 

_“I don’t promote anymore.”_

 

Tao nodded and took a sip of his drink. The other man too a sip of his. They sat in silence for a few seconds then both looked up at each other. Hangeng laughed and looked away.

 

_“I didn’t really come here expecting to do this.”_

 

_“I did.”_ Tao was blunt.

 

Hangeng hummed. _“Do I have to pay?”_

 

_“No, I’ve got a sugar daddy that’ll last me a few more months and then I’ll think about worry about going broke.”_  Tao hated that question. He wanted sex to relieve stress from work, it wasn’t his work.

 

_“So, you’re just horny?”_

 

Tao chuckled _. “Stress makes me that way.”_

 

“I have a hotel.”

 

Tao nodded. He liked hotels. If it wasn’t a drunken round then hotels were no phone number, but if they met within the year, a favor could be granted. Tao wasn’t sure what a retired Chinese idol could do for him, but if he could make connections while making connections than all the better for his stress levels.

 

Tao pushed his drink away. “I’m a designer. _Let’s try not to meet again after tonight.”_

 

Hangeng stood. “ _I don’t really need a drink to sleep with you.”_

 

Tao sighed and waved at Kyungsoo to bring the check. He felt a bit tipsy as he stood and braced himself on the bar. “ _Sounds like you’re hitting on me.”_

 

_“I’m not going to sleep with someone I’m not attracted to,”_ Hangeng said and offered up his credit car. Tao pushed it away.

 

_“I don’t let people pay for drinks in this situation.”_

 

_“It’s my company’s card. This is a business deal.”_

 

Tao grinned. He was in the habit of buying things under Kris’ name. “Be my guest then.”

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            Tao really did like hotels. They could both be romantic and business like. When guys took him home, something lessened the experience and the satisfaction. It made him feel easy and not sexually active. He wasn’t a girl who thought every guy that bought her dinner then brought her home was in love with her. How was it home if he was so easily let inside? At least homes were better than haystacks. It was the guys that took him home and meant it that made him feel uncomfortable.

 

This obviously was the case. Hangeng paid the cab fare to his hotel. They arrived at a well priced hotel and Tao fixed himself spiking up a conversation in Chinese with Hangeng as they was to the elevator as to appear inconspicuous. The other man had made his intentions clear verbally, but not physically at it both made Tao dread and anticipate his touch. It would either be the best ten minutes since the last best ten minutes, or it would be the worse fifty seconds and Tao would be too late to back out.

 

Hangeng’s phone ran. “Hello. _No, I don’t care for that. I’m going to rest now; make sure not to bother me until morning.”_ He flipped his phone off and pocketed it. _“My assistant.”_

 

Tao nodded. He appreciated the gesture of not being left in the middle of the throws of pleasure while his partner pulled out, or even worse, stilled to answer his phone for ‘important issues’. Maybe sex wasn’t as important as he thought it was. Was it like food, you only needed the most basic and minimal to survive and you became sexually obese if you had too much? Was it as unimportant as love?

 

He wondered what sexual obesity looked like. A HIV positive hooker or Pamela Anderson?

 

They were at Hangeng’s door before Tao knew it. He looked up and met Hangeng’s eyes before the man pulled out his key card and slid it through the lock with a quick motion that caused a shiver to run down Tao’s spine. The door clicked opened. Hangeng held it open. Tao walked inside.

 

It was a suite. Tao had a feeling that he had been in this room before, definitely this hotel. Was it that time he had a threesome with Baekhyun and some Brazilian model? He didn’t like remembering that, right up there with sleep with Junmyeon and jacking off To Minseok when he thought sleeping with a seventy year old would be fun (it wasn’t; he would have had more fun shoving both ends of nun chuck sticks up his ass than riding a burnt out marshmallow). It was nice inside, though. A suit lay messily over the desk chair, but Hangeng’s rolling suitcase was neatly placed by a wall. The bed only had slight wrinkles from where someone had sat on it. Tao moved to fit himself into the spot.

 

“Make yourself at home,” Hangeng said and slipped his jacket off, hanging it over the back of the chair with the suit.

 

_“At home, I usually walk around naked,”_ Tao said. He had only done it once, besides the bathrobe, but he liked to say it, give them a mental image.

 

Hangeng chuckled. “Alright, _then feel free to walk around naked.”_

 

Tao took up the offer. He removed his glasses and ruffled up his black hair. He reached down for the hem of his shirt and lifted it up. His hands paused halfway when he felt a second pair join them. He let his hands fall away and the other pair finished the job. Tao leaned back and those hands fell to his chest rubbing down it. Hangeng’s fingers traced along his abs and he hoped they were still hard after the harsh winter and staying cooped up in the apartment with little exercise. Lips descended on them and Tao let out a breath gasp.

 

Fingers moved to Tao’s pants and slid down his zipper. Tao reached down and grabbed the back of Hangeng’s hair making him lookup. They stared at each other then Hangeng launched. It wasn’t as amazing as Tao had hoped it would be, but it wasn’t half as bad as he feared. He played up his enthusiasm as Hangeng’s tongue pushed into his mouth and the kiss got ‘deeper’. Hangeng pushed Tao back on the bed, tongue sliding out with a lick against Tao’s lips that made him nervous to continue. Tao wasn’t fond of lickers.

 

Hangeng kissed down his neck. When the feel of lips suction cupping themselves to his skin made him shiver, Tao pushed at the man’s shoulders. He didn’t like to be marked. He wasn’t Luhan who happily brandished marks made by boyfriends with an aggressively shy demeanor only to wear turtlenecks when they weren’t boyfriends. At least he didn’t cry and wasn’t easy. Tao didn’t belong to anyone.

 

Tao traced Hangeng’s collar, grinning up at the man. He was a leopard who had gone after a wildebeest only to end up with an antelope, but the meat was still sweet to a hungry predator’s stomach. He started to unbutton Hangeng’s shirt, fingers moving down lines of his chest. He finally got a reaction, Hangeng’s hips moving down to meet his. Tao sighed feeling pleasure coursing through his body and let himself give up to the man.

 

His pants were off and Tao hardly felt it until Hangeng’s hand stroked his length. “ _Do you have a preferred position_?”

 

Tao blinked up at the ceiling. It was white, too white with a yellow glow. That meant the light was still on. Tao preferred it dark. He’d have to close his eyes to keep his mind from playing.

 

_“I think my ass is tight. Do you?”_

 

_“I don’t know, how about I try it out?”_

 

A mouth descended around his length and Tao hissed. It was hot and wet and Tao enjoyed that tongue much more on his penis than invading his mouth. It seemed he was good at it and Tao wondered how many dicks he had sucked to become an idol. Or had he not sucked enough? Tao had only blown off one guy to advance his career, or more so, sucked all the enjoyment of the act between them out so there was only guilt left, so much of it that even if Tao became a world famous designer, it still wouldn’t be enough. For every other penis, well, connections were always good no matter how they were done.

 

Tao gasped.

 

_“Are you about to cum?”_

 

No, he wasn’t, the cocky jerk had used his teeth. Tao nodded anyways. He was still young and he was impatient. He could use that to his advantage. Hangeng went back to his work, but Tao finally felt fingers at his entrance. His legs automatically spread wide.

 

_“Eager?”_

 

_Eager?_

 

Tao remembered why it had been so long since he had had a Chinese partner. The words rang too loud in his chest. But, he could lie. He wanted the stress to be plowed out of him. He wanted to forget about Kris and the portfolio, Luhan and his virginity, and Yixing and all the mysteries that surrounded hi. He should have brought him home. He should have gone to that circus.

 

Damn Baekhyun.

 

Damn, this man’s fingers were good.

 

Tao withered on the bed as Hangeng teased the area around his prostate. Why didn’t he just hit it already, then this could all be over and Tao could go home. Those fingers and stopped and pulled out with a slick pop. He felt something bitter and wetter at his entrance and spread his legs wider, hands going between them to hold himself opened ant he lifted his hips. Tao wasn’t afraid to show what he wanted.

 

_“You’re flexible and not shy at all,”_ Hangeng commented.

 

Tao wasn’t going to give him a chance to see how flexible and bold he really could be. He growled at Hangeng. “Put it in already.”

 

Hangeng frowned, but pushed in. Toa smiled. It hurt, but it had been so long since it hurt. He hadn’t been dominated for over a week. He felt satisfaction spread over him when he heard Hangeng moan.

 

_“You really are tight.”_

 

Tao nodded and shifted his hips to get comfortable. Hangeng pulled out and pushed back in. it took a few thrusts until Tao finally felt it. He shivered and grabbed onto Hangeng’s shoulders as the man started to go faster. He was noisy trying to get Tao to be noisy as well. Tao ignored him. He couldn’t hear anything, couldn’t see anything, and could only taste the smile of pleasure on his lips.

 

A hand wrapped around Tao’s member and he swatted it away. It was adamant and came back moving faster with Hangeng’s thrusts. It was wet and covered with lube and made Tao’s imagination act up. He could remember Yixing freshly out of the shower, neck length chocolate hair dragging along his collar bone and rivulets of water droplets cascading down his thin, but lined chest and soaking into a dangerously low towel. Tao could see him; almost feel him like he was right there stationed over his lap.

 

Tao’s hips jerked up over and over into Hangeng’s hand and he wanted to open his eyes and get his reality back in check, but reality wasn’t that pleasing either. Imagination was much much better in this situation.

 

His breath came in shallow gasps and he felt the burning in his stomach growing much too quick. He tried to blank out his mind only to moan out loud. He erupted before feeling the satisfaction of making someone else reach their limit.

 

Hangeng moaned high and satisfied – Tao’s satisfaction. Tao frowned and shifted his hips. He wanted to be done now. He wanted…well he didn’t want this like this. Tao turned onto his hands and knees ignoring the disapproving sounds of his partner as he was forced to follow the change with his motion. It was a few seconds later that he felt the sticky smear hit the walls of the condom Hangeng wore. The walls were too thick – he could barely feel the warmth from the fluids inside.

 

Tao flopped down onto the bed. Hangeng pulled out and Tao could hear him walking around his room. The energy between them was bitter.

 

_“You have to leave now,”_ Hangeng said.

 

Tao sat up and peeled back the blankets covered then cuddled beneath them. _“I can’t go home tonight. What time do you have to leave tomorrow?”_

 

_“_ _Five thirty_ _.”_

 

_“I’ll be gone before then.”_

 

Tao peeked out of the blankets and stared at the ceiling. Hangeng shut off the light and moved to the couch. Black ceiling. Tao didn’t want to see anything, even the black of his eyelids where imagination was born.


	7. “…because he had a food kink.”

  **Chapter 7 “…because he had a food kink.”**

 

            Kris entered his apartment building Monday feeling confused on top of the usual stress that came with running his own growing business. The stress was okay, though, he had anticipated that when he first envisioned his dream of coming back to the west and becoming a rich business man. He had only been nine when he went back to China, but he had been old enough to know what bitterness felt like and to have more than a dream, but a determined plan. What confused him was Tao. He had gotten use to Tao’s change of attitude from a cute younger brother to a broody rebel, there really wasn’t anything else he could do about it, but Tao seemed to be reaching a cliff in life and Kris didn’t think, even if Tao started up wushu intensely again, that he would be able to soar across safely. Kris didn’t want to watch Tao fall, that was why he had given him the portfolio to work on.

 

It was the portfolio that confused Kris.

 

Unicorns. Tao must have been making a joke. It wasn’t that it was a bad idea, it really was something different, but it wasn’t something the Tao now would come up with. Had something happened, a switch Kris hadn’t noticed? Well, it wasn’t like Kris could keep tabs on Tao all the time with his business on the brink of reaching the success Kris had dreamed for it and his coming marriage. He hoped he wasn’t ignoring Tao too much, but he had a tendency to do that.

 

There was a man standing outside the door to his apartment when he arrived on the tenth floor. Immediately all his worries faded away seeing round face of his fiancé standing by the door playing on his cellphone. He approached quietly and towered over the shorter man. His fiancé looked up surprised then smiled. Kris leaned down and kissed him softly.

 

“I gave you a key, Minseok,” Kris said when he moved away, forehead rested against the other’s. 

 

“I know, the doors opened, but it’s lonely inside. Your apartment’s so big and I’m still not use to being in it by myself.”

 

Kris smiled and led Minseok inside. “You’ll get use to it. We’re getting married soon.”

 

Minseok laughed nervously and moved over to the couch where two suitcases leaned against the side of it. Minseok handed Kris one of them then grabbed the other.

 

“What’s this?” Kris asked.

 

Red steamed on Minseok’s cheek and he waved his hand still holding his phone at Kris. “My apartment lease is up next month, so…I’m moving in!” Minseok turned and quickly made his way into the bedroom.

 

Kris followed and watched as Minseok started to move around Kris’ room, folding up the lazily thrown shirts and slacks that Kris never could find the energy to put away right. Minseok sniffed one, and finding it cleaned, moved to Kris’ closet. Kris took the opportunity to move behind him and wrap his arms around his fiancé’s waist. Minseok stiffened in his hold.

 

“You could have moved in months ago, Minseok,” Kris said and trailed his lips down Minseok’s neck. “I would have paid the penalty for breaking the lease for you.”

 

Minseok sighed. “I’m not with you because you’re rich.”

 

“It’s a perk though.” Kris found a sensitive spot and sucked it making Minseok writhe against him trying to get away.

 

Minseok turned in Kris’ hold and placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him at bay. “It is,” he said and glanced up then back down and fixed Kris’ collar, “but I want to come into this partnership clean. I’ve already paid off all my student loans and I can pay off all my credit card bills by selling my car.”

 

Kris chuckled. “Why do you have a car, Minseok?”

 

“I didn’t think about how little I would use it living in New York City. But, enough about that, how was your day?”

 

“Stressful, confusing, the usual.”

 

“Confusing? That’s not the usual. You usually say ‘Stressful, business man A did this and thought this and pissed me off and then there was business man B and blah blah blah’, a bunch of business stuff I don’t understand.”

 

Kris laughed. “You listen to me even when you don’t understand what I’m saying? Ah, no it’s just Zitao.”

 

“Oh, I talked to him this morning when I came by. He seems to be thinking about something too much.”

 

“I noticed that, too,” Kris said, “it must be the portfolio I assigned him.”

 

Minseok smiled wide at Kris and shook his head. “I think he got a boyfriend. I saw him talking to a guy in the lobby. The guy had lunchboxes.”

 

Kris raised a brow. “A boyfriend?” Unicorns. Maybe…maybe it did make sense. “He’s not the type to have boyfriends. He hasn’t had one since…”

 

Minseok nodded and patted Kris’ cheek. “He needs one. Then you can stop feeling guilty about being so happy. I know when my ex-fiancé got married, I felt so much better for breaking it off when I realized I was gay.”

 

“It’s a little different than that, Minseok.”

 

Minseok pulled away. “That’s true; you’re the one that moved on first. You’ve given him so much, though, it’s time Zitao moved on his own.”

 

Kris knew that, but he couldn’t help worrying over the boy he had seen as his little brother since they were children. He didn’t want Tao’s next step to be off a cliff.

 

“What do you want to eat? I can cook a bit; I saw food in your fridge.”

 

Kris watched his fiancé make his way across the bedroom. His mind went blank and was filled with the outline of him, small for a man, but round where Kris liked it. This was why he had fallen in love with Minseok. Just seeing an inch of him made Kris forget everything else and no one else had ever been able to do that. Minseok turned when Kris took too long to answer, eyes blinking. His hair was longer than when they first met, a chestnut collar he said he was thinking of keeping until the wedding. Kris moved in on him, wrapping his tall frame around the smaller man. His lips landed fiercely against Minseok’s. Minseok made a startled sound, but gave in, one hand on the back of Kris’ neck and the other clasping Kris’ shirt at his side. Kris slid his tongue along Minseok’s earning soft sounds and his hands roamed down to cup his fiancé’s bottom, his favorite part, sexually, of his fiancé, kneading it.

 

They broke for air and Kris breath against Minseok’s ear, his hands continuing their motion. “I want to eat you.”

 

Minseok laughed and nudged Kris away. “I’m dessert. I saw whip cream in your fridge.”

 

Kris also loved Minseok because he had a food kink.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            Tao felt drained when he got home Tuesday morning. Hangeng snored, or at least he did a couple hours before he woke up. Tao left as soon as he realized the noise wasn’t going to stop any time soon. It was barely four in the morning when he walked out of the hotel and he had only slept for three and a half hours. He had wanted to quickly go to the apartment and grab a change of clothes and a shower to head to work. Work started at eight and he would have been done with that at six and dawdled for two hours on his way to work. The hotel was too far from his apartment to walk and make it before Luhan woke up, so he had no choice but to take a taxi. He could nap, and maybe everyone else would be asleep.

 

The taxi driver let him out at the end of the block where his apartment was at at four fifteen and by four twenty-five he was in the elevator headed up. He dug his key out of his pocket and stepped out of the elevator then down the hall. He pushed the key into the lock and turned. When it clicked, Tao pulled his hand away and shook himself. It was a little cold that morning and he felt sore. He pushed the door open and walked inside then closed it slowly as to not make any sound, slipping the key out of the doorknob before it was shut all the way because he remembered what happened when he had done that when he first moved in. His ears had run from Luhan’s screaming for a week and the bruise on his arm lasted for two.

 

When Tao turned around, he jumped seeing eyes glowing in the dark of the living room. They were almost like cat eyes and he felt his heart beat faster in his chest from sudden fear. The eyes blinked and Tao watched an outline of someone walk across the living room and into the kitchen. The kitchen light was flicked on and Tao unpinned himself from the door.

 

Luhan was asleep on the couch. He had one arm slung over the back and the other lay across his chest with his cellphone in his hand. He pink lips were parted as he breathed. Tao thought he looked uncomfortable but peaceful. He pulled out his cellphone and turned it on. Just like usually, he had about ten missed calls and six unanswered texts from his roommate. He smiled at the screen and started to delete them all.

 

Yixing walked back into the living room and Tao looked up frowning seeing him still awake. He gestured for Tao to follow him into the kitchen. Tao removed his jacket and hung it up before following.

 

Their kitchen was small, mostly covered by electronic equipment as neither of them could be trusted with the stove. It was surprising to actually see the stove cleared of cereal boxes and ramyun packets as it had become more of another counter space. Tao took one of the stools and sat in it. Yixing moved over to the coffee pot, the only thing that was ever really paid attention to in the kitchen, and started a fresh batch.

 

“Luhan waited up for you,” Yixing said.

 

“He usually does.”

 

“Where did you go?”

 

Tao frowned. “It’s none of your business.”

 

“You should tell your roommate where you are. He worries about you.”

 

Tao glared at the man as he fiddled with the mugs in the sink. Was Yixing lecturing him? He was an adult, he didn’t need lecturing. “What are you doing? I’m your savior; you can’t say things like that to me.”

 

“I’m grateful for that. Luhan’s been the one here though; I just thought I’d help him a little. Where you with your boyfriend? He called a guy named Baekhyun but he was…doing something.”

 

“I don’t have one, I have many.” Tao ran a hand through his hair. “I mean, you’re older than me, you should know about these kinds of things.” He caught the shake of Yixing’s hand as he set down two mugs by the coffee pot. He scoffed and wanted to laugh. “You don’t, do you? You and Luhan would make great friends then.”

 

“Unicorns can’t do that so freely.”

 

“Unicorns? You’re still spouting that shit?” Tao did laugh this time and placed his hands on his aching hips. They’d feel better in a couple hours if he could get to the aspirin, it had just been a while and he had been too desperate to get things out of his system. But, they weren’t really out of his system were they. Yixing was standing right in front of him now. A virgin. Should he even care about that? There had been a couple times Tao had been more than just a little attractive to someone. There were a couple actors on Broadway he had tried hard to get at only to loose interest when it ended up they were straight and a model he had finally gotten to ride after two weeks. This was different. And it was annoying.

 

“It’s not shit,” Yixing said, “it’s the truth whether you believe it or not, that’s your choice, but if you don’t want me to lecture you then don’t chastise me.”

 

Tao was surprised. He hadn’t expected Yixing to talk back.

 

“You’re not my Master, you can’t tell me what to say,” Yixing continued. He was glaring at Tao and Tao felt a sudden surge shoot up his spine and into his heart. He took a step closer to Yixing and saw his glare waver. He moved forward quick and grabbed Yixing’s wrist pinning it behind his back.

 

“I could be your Master,” Tao said, head lowering the few centimeters that separated their heights to speak low into Yixing’s ear. “What does it take to catch a unicorn? Sugar cubes? A worthless string of gold?” He gripped Yixing’s wrist harder and the man let out a small sound of pain. “And then what would I do with you? How much do you think people would pay to fuck a unicorn?”

 

“You can’t…do that,” Yixing said.

 

Tao let him go and moved back. “I’m only nice to people who annoy me once. I’m letting you hide here until your circus is gone. You better quickly leave after that or you’ll wish you were back in those chains getting whatever treatment you did from your Master’s boss instead of what I’ll do to you.”

 

There was fear in Yixing’s eyes and it gave Tao a sadistic satisfaction that he enjoyed, but didn’t like to delve into. He stared back, not able to tare away from those rich brown eyes wavering. They stilled and Tao froze with them. It was like the fear had become a dagger slowly chipping away at Tao and now he was scared.

 

“You’re…sad,” Yixing said. “Why are you sad?”

 

There were many things in life that a person should be sad about, but all those big things were nothing compared the selfish things one could be sad about. Yixing’s eyes were looking at him softly. They were…motherly. Tao took a step back.

 

“Stop it.”

 

“Zitao.” His name. Yixing said it so softly, reaching out with the one word.

 

“Stop it!” Tao yelled and walked out of the kitchen.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

 

            Tao’s door slamming woke Luhan up. He looked around then glared at his roommate’s door. He hadn’t expected Tao not to come home that night. After the fire, Luhan had expected Tao to calm down for a while and think about his near death experience. But no, Tao was use to near death experiences. At least that’s what Luhan would call all the martial arts Tao use to do. Some of those tricks looked dangerous.

 

There was a shuffling from the kitchen and Luhan realized the lights were on. He got up and walked inside sighing when he saw Yixing hunched over and leaning against the counter. There were two coffee mugs by Yixing’s arm, one of them was Toa’s that Luhan had pointed out to Yixing’ as his favorite when showing Yixing around the apartment. Luhan walked up to Yixing and reached around him for the other much, a guest mug.

 

“Did Tao see you?” Luhan asked.

 

Yixing didn’t look up. “It’s not fair that he makes you worry.”

 

Luhan thought about those words then nodded. “That’s just Tao. You don’t have to worry about me; I’m use to it by now.”

 

“I worry about him. He’s sad.”

 

Luhan’s grip on the mug tightened. It didn’t feel right for someone who had only been here two days to have seen that part of Tao. It took months for Luhan to realize it, that Tao’s coldness and playboy attitude weren’t to overcompensate for a lack of looks or talent, but a lack of heart. He was a good guy. Sad was a good word to describe it.

 

“How did you know?” Luhan asked.

 

“I can feel it. Scars in people’s hearts, I can feel them,” Yixing explained.

 

Luhan put the mug back down and looked Yixing up and down. He traced the lines of Yixing’s arms and collarbone seen through the muscle shirt he had let him borrow. They matched to what Luhan could remember off the horse.

 

“You really are a unicorn, aren’t you?”

 

Yixing nodded.

 

“You should run. I don’t have a lot, but I have enough I could give you to get to Canada if you want to try running away from those circus guys.”

 

“I don’t want to run, they’ll leave here eventually, they don’t have a lot of power,” Yixing said.

 

“Still, you shouldn’t stay here.”

 

Glowing brown eyes met Luhan’s. They swirled with an overpowering innocent that made Luhan take a step back.

 

“I want to help him, Luhan.”

 

“Why?” Luhan couldn’t really understand what this guy, unicorn, was thinking. “If it’s because he saved you, I think your debts paid already.”

 

“I love him.”

 

Luhan’s eyes widened. He started coughing and grabbed the mug again pouring the coffee into it. He drank it down too fast and burnt his tongue. “You love him!”

 

Yixing took Tao’s mug and held it in his head staring off. Luhan watched his face, but it was blank.

 

“Unicorns aren’t attracted to virgin girls like everyone thinks; they’re attracted to those whose heart needs them the most. Princess and young girls forced into marriages are lonely, their hearts hurt because of that. Tao’s heart hurts.”

 

Luhan sipped his coffee slower thinking. He nodded. “Alright, so like a dog loves his master. I get it.”

 

Yixing shook his head and looked down at the mug. Luhan peaked at him and felt sick. There was a quirk of a smile on Yixing’s lips, a quirk Luhan knew well every time he had a new boyfriend. A lovesick quirk.

 

“You can’t be serious.”

 

Yixing looked up and blinked at Luhan as if not understanding. He tilted his head and his eyes lit up. “There aren’t many unicorns and most of them are male. When those girls married their intended husbands, they weren’t virgins anymore and usually pregnant.”

 

Luhan waved a hand at Yixing. “I don’t want to know about unicorns screwing pretty girls. That’s disturbing.”

 

Yixing shrugged and went back to looking at the mug in his hands.

 

Luhan sighed. “He’ll hurt you.”

 

“He already has,” Yixing said and shrugged again. He turned and reached up to the cabinet to replace Tao’s mug. Luhan watched him, eyes widening seeing a bruise around his wrists, like fingers that had held it too tight. Slowly the bruises faded to the white of Yixing’s skin.  

 

“You healed your bruises before, the ones from the chains?”

 

Yixing nodded.

 

Luhan hoped he could heal a broken heart, too.

  
  



	8. “…, but he had a horse to deal with first.”

**Chapter 8 “…, but he had a horse to deal with first.”**

 

            Tao walked into work three hours late. He ignored the smell of grilled fish and kimchi coming from the kitchen and headed straight out with a minimal shower and minimal time in front of the mirror. He felt like carp and he wanted everyone to know he felt like crap. He wanted Luhan to baby him and Kris to hover around his office door every ten minutes. And he wanted Yixing to be gone.

 

That would make him feel less like crap.

 

But, he would still be sad.

 

Tao high kicked a light pole as he passed it only to get yelled at by an elderly lady whose dog happened to be peeing on said light pole. He rambled some words to the dog in Chinese trying to make it seem like he was apologizing then laughed to himself when she started spouting out racist slurs and everyone else on the street looked at her with uncomfortable stares. They didn’t look at Tao. He had already melted into the crowd.

 

There wasn’t time for coffee, or more like Tao’s stomach couldn’t take it on top of everything else at noon with nothing but that weak coke mixture Junmyeon had gave him last night making its way to his bladder. He didn’t bother to take the stairs and went straight up to the tenth floor. His door was slightly ajar. Tao trailed his fingers along the gold Chinese lettering on the door and sighed. He walked inside and ignored Luhan sitting in his large leather chair behind his desk. Tao pulled up a stool to his drawing desk instead and spread out a sheet of paper. Luhan’s eyes were on his back, he could feel them. He crushed his pencil lead trying to ignore the tapping of Luhan’s fingers on his computer keyboard. He sharpened his pencil. The lead broke again.

 

“Is this how you usually work? I think I understand why you never get anything done,” Luhan said.

 

Tao growled. “What do you want, Luhan?”

 

“Nothing.” Luhan went back to typing on Tao’s computer. “What’s your password?”

 

“Luhan!” Tao slammed his pencil down on the desk and turned around on the chair to glare at his roommate and co-worker.

 

Luhan met his eyes with a straight seriousness Tao had learned to fear. It had only been used on him once before when they first lived together and he had made the mistake of falling asleep in all his post-sex glory on Luhan’s bed instead of his, but he had witnessed it enough times since then when Luhan was the one to break it off with a guy usually after catching him cheating which was something Luhan could not stand for. (Tao didn’t cheat, so thought Luhan didn’t like his sleeping around, he could respect Tao’s life style.)

 

“You could at least respond with a ‘Mind your own business, _gege._ ”

 

Tao was confused for a second with Luhan’s words than groaned and shook his head. “Do we really have to go through this? It’s been what, three years? You should know by now.”

 

Luhan rested his head on one hand and elbow on the desk. He tapped the desk with the fingers of his other hand and continued to stare at Tao with that look. “We need to talk every now and then. You’re not only worrying me now, you’re worrying someone that cares a lot about you.”

 

Tao ran a hand through his hair. He wrinkled his nose feeling soap bubbles pop between his fingers wondering how they could have lasted that long. “Kris doesn’t worry about that kind of stuff anymore.”

 

Luhan sighed and Tao froze seeing the look of pity on Luhan’s face. He hated that look.

 

“The fact you think I’m talking about Kris makes me sad. He loves you, of course, but there’s someone that loves you even more, that’s in love with you.”

 

Tao looked around for his bag and started shifting through it for his glasses case. “I’ve told you before I’m not interested in relationships. I’m not taking recommendations from _you_.”

 

Luhan pushed himself aggressively away from Tao’s desk. “You know, I really hate it when you keep using the fact I’m a virgin to make your case like it’s a bad thing or something.”

 

Tao froze staring at Luhan. He could see the instant regret filling Luhan’s eyes. He curled himself back against Tao’s desk.

 

“I’m sorry. I know you’re not a slut.”

 

Tao finally found his glasses case. He opened it and pulled out his glasses slipping them onto his face. “I am.”

 

“Sluts steal boyfriends and go after people they can’t have.”

 

Tao turned back to stare at the drawing paper littered with small pencil marks, not one of them made with any actual construction in mind. “I want someone I can’t have.”

 

“Yixing’s in love with you.”

 

Tao laughed. He laughed loud and hard, bending over his drawing table and holding his stomach. “Don’t make jokes, Luhan. I’ve only known him since Saturday.”

 

“He told me he was. After you came home and bullied him, he told me.”

 

Tao immediately sobered up. He flexed his drawing hand beneath the drawing desk, the same hand he had grabbed Yixing’s wrist with that morning. “I didn’t bully him.”

 

“I saw the bruise, Tao,” Luhan said. “You’re lucky he can heal himself.”

 

Tao turned back to Luhan, one eyebrow lifted. “You really believe in all this magic crap?”

 

“It’s not crap, Tao, you saw it, too. You saw more. He went from a horse with a horn into a man right before our eyes. He’s a unicorn and you’re going to hurt him if you don’t let him go.”

 

“He can leave any time he wants, I’m not holding him hostage,” Tao said.

 

“He can’t leave because you’re sad.”

 

“And what does that have to do with him not being able to leave? He can’t leave because of those circus freaks; you’re just mixing everything up, Luhan.”

 

Luhan stood and moved around to the other side of Tao’s desk. “He told me unicorns aren’t attracted to virgin maidens, but lonely hearts.”

 

“That’s a pitiful thing to be attracted to.”

 

Luhan held up a finger. “Also, those lonely maidens usually ended up carrying their child.” He pointed the finger at Tao.

 

Tao laughed.

 

“So you’re saying he wants in my pants, well if that’s all it takes to get rid of him…” Tao trailed off thinking about it. He remembered his night with Hangeng. No, he didn’t really want to sleep with Yixing.

 

“I’m glad you find this humorous. I told him to bring us lunch, so you can talk to him about the best ways to seduce you then.”

 

“You invited him!”

 

“Bye, bye,” Luhan said and ran out of Tao’s office like a scared deer.

 

Tao wanted to rip him apart, but he had a horse to deal with first.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

 

            An hour later, Tao gave up on working and pulled out his phone to see his schedule for the day. He frowned seeing a change in the head designer for the shoot today that was supposed to start in ten minutes. He hadn’t planned to do any over seeing today and he really didn’t know how Kris thought he could get any designs done if he was always downstairs overlooking the shoots for their magazine and the magazines they had ads bought in. He stretched his arms over his head and thought about going for a coffee and maybe search around for a banana. His phone rang.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Mr. Haung,” the receptionist’s soft voice said.

 

“What is it?”

 

“That guy’s here again.”

 

Tao ran a hand down his face, the aggravation he had had talking with Luhan returning. “I forgot he was coming.”

 

“What? You were expecting him, should I let him up?” she asked.

 

“Send him to the shooting floor. I’ll be in room six.”

 

“Understood.”

 

She hung up first and Tao went over to a cabinet he had to filter through the other designer’s proposals for that month trying to find the one for today’s shooting. He went through it on the elevator. It had an old model scheduled that Tao assumed Kris had replaced with Kai and a guest model Tao didn’t know. It seemed pretty simple though, almost too simple and Tao wondered why he had to take over the shoot.

 

He was surprised when he realized he hadn’t expected the shooting area to be in chaos. It was always in chaos and it just seemed even more so today. Everyone was rushing around with their phone to their ears and one photographer was in a corner literally pulling their hair out. Tao searched around for Luhan and found him with the makeup artist staring at a fully made up Kai who leisurely tapped away at his phone.

 

“What’s going on?” Tao asked.

 

Luhan jumped and turned, cheeks flushed getting caught staring at the younger man. “Huh, what are you doing here?”

 

“Kris changed the designer.”

 

Luhan let out a sigh of relief. “Oh thank god. The second model had a drug overdose and Kris refuses to reschedule them. We couldn’t get a hold of the designer either to ask what model would be ideal as a replacement for their vision. You can look over who we can get ASAP.”

 

Luhan handed him a folder and Tao looked through them. “They seem about the same size as Kai, maybe a bit slimmer. Wouldn’t Sehun work?”

 

“Sehun’s on location for a commercial.”

 

Tao nodded. “I don’t like any of them.”

 

“Tao~.” Luhan looked distress. Tao only shrugged and handed the folder back.

 

“Why are you guys so picky? Can’t you just pick one?”

 

“It’s art, you can’t ‘just pick one’.” He started to leave the shooting area finding it useless to continue, but his way was blocked by a lost looking Yixing.

 

Luhan passed Tao and walked straight up to their house guest. “Yixing~ you brought us food.”

 

Yixing handed one lunchbox to Luhan then held the other out to Tao. Tao sighed and approached Yixing, swiftly taking the box and peaking inside. His eyes widened and he could feel his mouth watering seeing what was inside. He flipped it opened and took out one of the puffy white sweets inside. It melted the moment he put it in his mouth and he couldn’t help but moan.

 

“Do you like it, Zitao?”

 

Tao was brought back from his sugary bliss hearing his name called in that sweet almost motherly way. He blinked at the curious looking Yixing then quickly shut the lunchbox closed.

 

“I didn’t know you could make sweets.”

 

“I can make them. Luhan said you like snacks and sweets. I like them, too.”

 

Tao furrowed his eyebrows finding that wording a bit odd. He couldn’t tell what Yixing met by those words, his face was so blank, but he thought maybe Yixing was trying to flirt with him. “Luhan talks too much.”

 

“Hey! You get cake, you should be happy.”

 

“Mr. Huang!” someone called.

 

Tao turned to see Chanyeol, the photographer, hurrying over to them.

 

“Mr. Huang, have you decided our second model?”

 

“There really isn’t any need to continue this if there’s no one suitable,” Tao began and turned back to leave again. Yixing was still standing there. Actually…Tao looked Yixing up and down, measuring him with his eyes and trying to remember how he looked in only that towel. Maybe. Tao reached out and grabbed Yixing’s wrist with one hand, handing his lunchbox to Luhan with the other.

 

“Tao, where are you taking him?” Luhan asked following after.

 

Tao dragged Yixing to the clothing rack behind where Kai sat at the makeup table. He pulled out the first outfit and held it up against Yixing. He nodded and thrust it into Yixing’s chest. “Change into this.”

 

Yixing held the outfit and looked at Tao lost. “Why?”

 

“You’re always nagging me to help out; well this is you helping out. You’re going to model. Have you ever done that before?”

 

Yixing shook his head no. “What do I do?”

 

“You get dress and then stand around and look good while people take pictures of you. Hurry up.” He pushed Yixing toward the changing room and stood outside to wait.

 

“I thought you didn’t like him,” Luhan said standing next to Tao.

 

“I don’t, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let an opportunity go suddenly. He’s the perfect height and weight. I don’t think he’d look too bad standing next to Kai either.”

 

Yixing knocked on the door from the inside and Tao moved aside. It was just a simple t-shirt and jeans from their company, but Tao nodded approving how it looked on Yixing. He grabbed the unicorn man’s wrist and dragged him to the makeup artist.

 

“Go with something natural,” he told the makeup artist.

 

“What do you want me to do with his hair?”

 

Tao kneeled in front of Yixing and stared at his face. It was triangular shape, a good shape for men’s clothing and should be showed off. “Keep it out of his face.”

 

The makeup artist quickly went to work and Tao made runs around the shooting area adjusting things here and there giving ideas to the photographers in charge. Finally, they had Kai and Yixing standing in front of the backdrop.

 

“Okay guys, look natural,” the photographer said.

 

Kai instantly got into position, his eyes oozing sex, but not too much and Tao couldn’t help but feel impressed by the young model. Yixing, on the other hand, still looked lost. Tao walked forward feeling frustrated after the first round knowing they hadn’t come out the way any of them wanted.

 

“Yixing, relax. Unicorns are supposed to be graceful and strong, aren’t they?”

 

Yixing nodded. “I should be a unicorn.”

 

“Well, that’s what you keep saying you are. Don’t ruin this or I’ll kick you out of the apartment.”

 

Yixing frowned. “That’s cruel. I understand.”

 

Tao stepped back and crossed his arms, watching as the second round of photos started. He watched Yixing the entire time. Honestly, he wouldn’t have been able to look anywhere else. The moment he had allowed Yixing to be what he was, it seemed like something changed in his whole demeanor. He was beautiful. Part of Tao was proud of himself for having found this model and another part of him was scared. He was beautiful and perfect, too perfect.

 

Tao stood there until the shoot was done. Yixing was thanked and complimented as he made his way over to Tao, a smile growing on his face with every person he passed to stand before the designer. Tao looked at the face before him. Yixing had a dimple. He had never seen Yixing smile since he had brought the man into his apartment.

 

“Did I do well?” Yixing asked.

 

Tao clenched his teeth and left without answering.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            Luhan sat in the break room with Yixing eating the lunch the unicorn man had brought. At first he had been upset with the healthier tightly packed food in his box, but at least he wouldn’t get fat and all the little piece of crunchy vegetables and chicken could be shared with Yixing who sat staring down at his lap now back in the clothes he had arrived in, but still wearing the photo makeup. Luhan stabbed a piece of chicken and held it out to him.

 

“Can unicorns eat meat?”

 

Yixing looked up seeming startled and Luhan repeated himself.

 

“Yes, I can eat meat. I just can’t kill anything.”

 

Luhan placed the chicken on a napkin and slid it over to Yixing. Yixing gave him a thankful look and picked up the meat to eat. “What about mosquitoes?”

 

“Bugs don’t bother unicorns. We don’t get sick, but if we kill something we die, too.”

 

Luhan frowned. “Even if it’s in self defense?”

 

Yixing nodded. “We’re not weak though. I’m not sure if we die if it is in self defense or to protect someone, but there’s still a punishment for it.”

 

“Well, I suppose that’s fair. I guess it makes you think twice about killing someone. Oh, you did a good job modeling. You really saved us today.”

 

“Did I? Tao didn’t seem too pleased. He left.”

 

Luhan frowned and picked up a baby carrot sucking it lightly as he thought. “Well, you probably just did too well for him.”

 

“Too well?”

 

“Tao’s a difficult guy. He doesn’t like you, but I think he’s attracted to you. If you hadn’t turned into a unicorn, he probably would have slept with you then kicked you out on the first day,” Luhan said. “He doesn’t like being nice to people, so he’s only nice to people he would never ‘make love’ with. He might still sleep with you if he’s bored.”

 

“He hasn’t slept with you, you smell like a virgin,” Yixing said.

 

Luhan spluttered and reached out for his water bottle. “Virgin’s have a smell?”

 

Yixing nodded. “Everyone has a smell. It’s sort of a powdery smell, that’s the smell of a virgin. Tao doesn’t have that, he smells like sugar and hard alcohol.”

 

Luhan poked at a jello like thing in the lunchbox. “Horses like sugar, right?”

 

“I like sugar.”

 

He picked up the jello thing and put it in his mouth. He tasted like raspberries and he wondered when he had bought raspberry jello. A group walked into the break room and Luhan looked up before quickly looking away. Kai was there talking with the photographers and the shooting managers. He started poking at his food again.

 

“The other model, he likes you?” Yixing asked.

 

Luhan gave him a nervous smile. “I…I have a reputation for dating guys I work with. He probably just wants to have sex.”

 

Yixing hummed and looked over at the other model. Luhan grabbed his wrist to make him look away. “Don’t stare at him; he might come over here if you do.”

 

“He smells like chocolate.”

 

“Chocolate?” Luhan blinked at Yixing. “What does chocolate mean?”

 

“It’s just his smell. No powder, just chocolate. It’s not dark, it is just chocolate. I smelled it while we were modeling together.”

 

Luhan sat back and thought about that. Chocolate. What had his other boyfriends smelled like? What had Sehun smelled like? If they all smelled like chocolate than Luhan wanted nothing to do with Kai in that way even if he could feel his body tingling every time the younger man was around him. But, maybe chocolate was a good smell. He would have to buy some on his way home. Maybe he could get Yixing to bake a chocolate cake; Tao would probably like that, too.

 

“ _Hyung_ , you’re here.”

 

Luhan froze surprised by the deep voice behind him. Slowly he turned trying to plaster a professional smile on his face to greet the model that had been plaguing him for over a week. “Hello Kai, were you looking for me?”

 

“Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about the shoot.” Kai’s face was more convincing than Luhan’s in trying to cover up the obvious sexual tension. He turned his face away after a few seconds of which Luhan was caught up in staring at it to look at Yixing. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself. I’m Jongin Kim, known as Kai, and you?”

 

“L…Yixing,” Yixing answered.

 

“Is that your real name? You don’t have a model name?” Kai asked. “Most models that start here in America use something easier to go by.”

 

Luhan laughed to bring Kai’s attention away both feeling a bit jealous and wanting to keep Yixing a mystery to the others. He was Tao’s responsibility and so it was Tao’s job to make up lies for Yixing. “He’s not really a model, just someone staying with Tao and me for the time. He just stepped in for today.”

 

“Staying with you?” Kai turned to Luhan, eyes flashing dangerous for a second before going back to professional. Jealousy? Luhan’s heart started pounding hoping that’s what that was. “Well, you did a great job for your first time. I would talk to Mr. Haung about getting in here officially. One of our models will be leaving soon so it would be a good opportunity.”

 

“I’m not really looking for a job,” Yixing said. “I don’t know how long I’ll be here either.”

 

Kai nodded then placed a hand on Luhan’s shoulder. “Will you come with me for a minute, _hyung_?”

 

Luhan looked over at Yixing. The unicorn man looked between them then mouthed to Luhan ‘chocolate’. Luhan really didn’t understand what that meant, but he stood up and followed Kai to a more secluded area of the break room.

 

Kai leaned against the wall and faced Luhan. A grin slowly crossed his lips and he touched the bangs of his hair as if trying to get them out of his eyes. “I made you nervous, I’m sorry about that.”

 

“What do you mean?” Luhan asked. Had he made it obvious?

 

“I hadn’t realized you were a virgin. Sehun didn’t tell me that when I mentioned I thought you were cute.”

 

Luhan lifted a hand and rubbed his shoulder to keep himself from blushing or anything juvenile like that. “You think that?”

 

“Yeah, I thought you were just the shy type when it came to sleeping with people, but I guess you have an excuse to be shy. I’m surprised though. You’re really attractive. If anything, I thought you were straight. I went about it the wrong way.”

 

“Went about what?” Luhan asked.

 

Kai grinned at Luhan and stuffed his hands into his jean pockets almost like a shy middle schooler. Luhan could see their age difference in that motion, but he found it attractive. Luhan liked Boyish.

 

“Starting a relationship with you. Usually it’s easier for me to sleep with someone first so I know if it’s just sexual attraction or if it’s more. Since you’re my manager and also a virgin, I guess I shouldn’t just rush this.” Kai pulled a hand out and handed Luhan about three what seemed to be tickets. “I’m going to a party Friday, will you come with me. You can bring your roommate and maybe that Yixing guy, but you’re going to be my date, alright?”

 

Luhan stared at Kai surprised, lips parted frozen in what he should say. Kai held the tickets out and Luhan took them.

 

“Will you come as my date then?”

 

Luhan looked down at them. He nodded. “It wouldn’t hurt I guess.”

 

Kai laughed. “You are cute, _hyung_. It’ll make me happy if you do. I’ll see you then.”

 

Kai moved around Luhan and left the break room probably headed off to his next schedule. Luhan just watched him leave and let out a sigh. He guessed it was time to get on the horse again with dating. Maybe he wouldn’t get thrown off this time.


	9. “…and realized Yixing probably didn’t have any underwear…”

**Chapter 9 “…and realized Yixing probably didn’t have any underwear…”**

  

            Tao stayed late at work. It wasn’t something he did often, but it helped get his mind from wondering where he didn’t want to go. Of course going out and finding someone to sleep with could do the same thing, but if the sex wasn’t terrific then there could be bouts between thrusts where his mind could slip and imagine things he didn’t want.

 

Yixing riding him.

 

He didn’t want to remember that or remember how graceful he looked when he was modeling, but at least the last one was helpful. Yixing’s face kept appearing as he worked and though it annoyed him, it spurred him on. He had designs. He hated them all, but he had them – loose white shirts and dresses with faded leopard pattern that he loved so much. He would have to fix them later, but for now his stomach urged him home.

 

To say it was quiet by ten o’clock in their apartment building would be lying, but there was a peaceful lull that came over the building by then on a school night. Teenagers were coming home and adults were either out on the town already, sleeping until midnight, or just asleep in general. Tao guessed Luhan was already asleep. He hoped Yixing was, too.

 

No one got on the elevator as Tao rode it up to his floor. He heard a couple dings from the other elevator that was usually taken to go down, but his trip went uninterrupted. He stepped out and ran a hand through his hair. It was starting to feel greasy from doing that to it all day. Kris hadn’t stopped by either to bother him about his portfolio. At one point he had snuck into Kris’ office and checked his schedule only to see he had workshops and meeting all day. Luhan also didn’t come visit him again, but with the dazed look Tao had seen when on his face when he had passed by him in the bathroom, he could only assume Kai had come up with a way of seducing his manager that might actually work.

 

He fumbled with his keys wondering why he had so many on the Kung Fu Panda keychain Luhan had won for him when he made them go on a ‘brother date’ about a year ago. Tao had only agreed because it was better then having to hear Luhan cuss out video game characters, replacing their names with the name of the boyfriend he had just broken up with and a few before him. The door ended up being unlocked which usually meant someone was awake enough not to fall asleep standing. Tao pocketed his keys and walked in. Luhan definitely wasn’t the one awake.

 

The apartment smelled like cake. Tao immediately perked up. Had it smelled like any other food, his mind would have immediately realized it was Yixing cooking, but cake was all he could think about at the moment. He took off his jacket and hung it up, putting his backpack underneath it then headed toward the kitchen. Yixing was bent over in front of the oven, pulling something out. Tao stopped in the doorway staring at the outline of the man’s bottom through the sweatpants he was wearing. He couldn’t see any signs of brief or boxer outlines and realized Yixing probably didn’t have any underwear other than the ones he had come with if he had come with any at all. Neither he nor Luhan had underwear they could spare. Yixing stood and turned breaking Tao’s gaze away from his flatter than Tao had imagined butt.

 

“Zitao,” Yixing said, eyes widening seeing Tao standing in the kitchen doorway. He placed the cake he had pulled out on a washcloth on the counter and took off the Lilo and Stitch oven mitts he had never seen before. “You got home late.”

 

Tao moved into the kitchen and peered at the cinnamon colored cake in the pan. “This is early compared to the time I’ve been coming home since you’ve been here.”

 

He could hear Yixing frown, a sort of huffy sound close to his shoulder. Yixing swatted him away from the cake.

 

“Luhan said eight was late,” Yixing said as he fanned the cake with one of the oven mitts.

 

Tao leaned against the counter still staring at the cake. “Why are you making cake at this time of night?”

 

“It’s cooler at night, I didn’t want to make the apartment too hot,” Yixing answered.

 

Tao reached out to poke the cake and had his hand swatted away. “But why are you making cake?”

 

He caught Yixing peeking over at him then back at the cake. “Luhan said I should make you cake.”

 

Tao frowned and then his stomach grumbled. He hadn’t really eaten that day. He had forgotten about Yixing’s lunchbox so it was probably still in his office somewhere with all those nice small sweets and snacks. “If you’re making cake for me, why won’t you let me eat it already? Stop swatting my hand away.”

 

Yixing pointed over to the refrigerator. “There’s a chocolate truffle cake in there that Luhan took a piece out of already that you can eat.”

 

“Why’d you let Luhan have a piece before me?” Tao asked.

 

Yixing cleared his throat and moved to the sink starting to wash things. “I needed someone to make sure it tasted right.”

 

“Luhan also told you how much I love cake, didn’t he?” Tao asked. It wasn’t something he ate often, but if there was one thing he really loved about New York, it was all the mouth watering bakeries, not that there weren’t those in China, but he couldn’t walk into them as easily as he could here.

 

“I wanted it to taste right before you ate it,” Yixing admitted.

 

Tao stared down at his shoes. They were looking a little worn. He’d have to go shoe shopping soon. “Luhan told me something. He told me you think you’re in love with me.”

 

“I am in love with you,” Yixing confirmed.

 

Tao moved over to the fridge and pulled out the cake. He cut himself a large piece and started to eat from the platter. “I don’t know why. I’m mean to you even if I did save you. What’s that syndrome called when you fall for your savior? Do you have that?”

 

“No,” Yixing said. “You’re sad and I want to make you happy.”

 

“I don’t need you to.” Tao took a large bite.

 

“Even so, I can try to make you happy even if it’s something small like cake.”

 

Tao put down his next bit to sigh.

 

Yixing turned on the dishwasher. “Luhan has invitations for a party Friday night. That other model that likes him invited you as well.”

 

A grin grew on Tao’s lips and he took his bite up again. “I’ll go; I need a good high class party to go to.” He quickly finished the rest of his piece and stood. “Until then, I don’t want to see you, so stay out of the way as much as you can.”

 

“Why?” Yixing asked. “Why don’t you want to see me?”

 

Tao ran a hand through his hair again. Maybe he should take a bath before bed. “You frustrate me because you’re not unattractive. You should stay away from me if you’re really a pure and innocent unicorn.” He made his way out of the kitchen only to back pedal. “But, still make me lunch and cake.”

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            Friday found Tao napping at his drawing desk at _Ace’s_. He had taken to staying out late in order to avoid seeing Yixing who seemed to enjoy taking over the kitchen and the couch that he slept on, so there was never a sure way of avoiding him. Honestly, Tao had no idea why he didn’t just attack Yixing already and get it out of his system, but he had never ‘attacked’ someone innocent before. Then why didn’t he just kick Yixing out? There weren’t even any ‘lost unicorn’ signs hanging up and Tao had checked the internet for ads, not that you really could put up those kinds of ads without getting prank calls. And Yixing was in human form anyways. An abused man couldn’t be put up as lost.

 

The party started at eight according to the invitations. Luhan had told him countless times that it was imperative for him to come. This was, in simplest terms, Luhan’s first date with Kai and he needed his roommate there encase the model ended up being a dick or like most of the guys Luhan went on a first date with, or maybe just to urge Luhan on and say “You’re twenty-seven, it’s okay to have sex on the first date.” Tao planned to leave Luhan to it and find himself someone to take the edge off things. Maybe an actor, they were usually pretty down and to the point when it came to sex with just a bit of king to keep Tao’s mind from wondering.

 

That was what he wanted, but he would probably end up plastered and giving head in the bathroom stalls then going home with a rich brat that had a leather fetish. At least Tao looked good in leather.

 

Tao gathered his things and left _Ace’s_ to get to his apartment. He planned to arrive at the party about nine thirty and it was going on seven now. When he walked into the apartment he found no sign of Yixing, the kitchen light off, but Luhan was running around the living room only half dressed, holding his pants up with one hand, his belt in the other.

 

“Kai said I should meet him there at eight-thirty!” Luhan yelled and suddenly headed for Tao. He grabbed him by the collar letting go of his pants, and his belt slapping against Tao’s cheek. His eyes were wide and Tao knew this look. Luhan was a nervous dater. “What time is it now, Tao? What time is it now?”

 

Tao dug out his phone. The collar grabbing didn’t really hurt when it was Luhan doing it. He was stronger as a kicker. “Going on seven-thirty. You better hurry up, Luhan, you only have an hour.”

 

Luhan’s face flushed with nerves and he quickly made his way back to his bedroom stopping in the door way to look back at Tao. “When are you going to be there? You have to go, you’re my back up.”

 

“An hour after you. Just leave my invite on the coffee table. Oh, and don’t forget to bring a condom with you encase he manages to seduce you before I get there.” Tao waited until Luhan had scurried into his bedroom and slammed the door saying something about he would have brought his own condom anyways before going into his bedroom.

 

He needed a shower first off and then Tao planned to double check if the event was a club party or just a casual party. He had seen Luhan in club like clothes and seeing as Kai, a model, had invited them, he just assumed it was one of those hardcore type parties where elites rented out the whole club. Tao undressed and donned his bathrobe then gathered his change of clothes. He started for the bathroom, but felt his stomach grumble and made a beeline for the kitchen instead. There was still cake in the fridge and Tao put his change of clothes down on the counter before taking it out and cutting himself a slice.

 

It was a new cake and Tao frowned while he ate. It was good cake, almost as good as the small pastries at the high end pastry shops Kris took him to on his birthdays, but he couldn’t help imagine Yixing going about the kitchen making the cake in an apron. Just an apron. He wasn’t about to give up the cake though just to get the unicorn man out of his head. That would be going too far.

 

Tao put the cake back in the fridge and continued to the bathroom. He let the bathrobe pool at his feet and turned on the hot water first. He stepped inside, toes touching the cold drops remaining from Luhan’s bath and shivered. The shower head came on and Tao hissed as he let the hot water cascade down on him. It burnt his skin in a rejuvenating way and when he adjusted the temperature to just below perfect, he felt like all his old skin had been peeled off and replaced with a new layer ready to be put on display.

 

He doubled shampooed his hair and left the conditioner in as he ran his shower gel down his body leaving his new skin in layers of foamy white. His hand moved to his member and he stroked the limp organ with a soapy hand making sure to clean every inch of it. He wanted it to be the best tasting dick ever sucked by whoever he ended up with tonight.

 

The bathroom door creaked opened and Tao barely paid it attention guessing Luhan had come in to get something from the bathroom. It wasn’t like there was a lock on the door and they weren’t teenage boys that masturbated in the shower. Luhan’s call from the door saying he was leaving was what brought Tao out of his cleaning and he quickly peeked out the curtain.

 

Yixing stood by the toilet with Tao’s change of clothes. His eyes were downcast, but Tao caught him glancing up quickly. Yixing held the clothes out toward Tao.

 

“You forgot these in the kitchen,” he said.

 

Tao glanced at the clothes then glanced at Yixing. His hair was down and he was wearing a muscle shirt, Luhan’s, and sweatpants hanging low on his hips a bit too long. Tao’s sweatpants. His member was still in his hand and he felt it grow warm.

 

“You should have left it,” Tao said. “I told you to stay out of my way until after the party.”

 

Yixing lifted his head this time. He looked into Tao’s eyes then turned and placed the clothes on the toilet seat lid. “I just wanted to save you the trouble of having to go to the kitchen. I’m making food for you two tomorrow since you don’t work. I was going to stay in Luhan’s room so you wouldn’t be bothered which means I have to cook today.”

 

“You don’t have to cook for us,” Tao said. The water was starting to feel too cool on his body, but he didn’t feel like moving to adjust it.

 

“I want to be helpful as long as I’m here.” Yixing glanced at Tao. There was a dust of red on his cheeks whether from the fogginess of the initial hot bath or from being in the same room as his naked crush, Tao wasn’t sure. Yixing lifted a hand and brushed a hair back from his face revealing more of that sharp yet soft jaw line.

 

Tao shifted in the shower. He really couldn’t stand it. Five seconds. Tao closed his eyes. If in five seconds Yixing hadn’t turned around and started for the bathroom door, unicorn purity be damned, Tao would seduce him right then and there.

 

1

 

2

 

3

 

4

 

5

 

There was the sound of someone moving and Tao opened his eyes. Yixing was still there, he had just adjusted the clothes on the toilet seat.

 

Luhan wasn’t there. There wasn’t any reason for Yixing to still be in the bathroom.

 

“If you really want to be helpful, Yixing,” Tao said, “then come here.”

 

“What do you need? Is something wrong in there?” He took a step closer to the tub.

 

Tao rolled his eyes. “Come in here.”

 

Yixing’s eyes widened. “In?”

 

Tao didn’t repeat himself and reached an arm out, pulling Yixing inside the shower and plastered him against the tiled wall.

 

Yixing gasped and feared flickered across his brown eyes. “What are you doing?”

 

Tao stepped up and put a knee between Yixing’s legs then pressed himself against him. “You said you were in love with me. Should I be thankful some unicorn is in love with me? Let me show you my thanks then.”

 

“I…I,” Yixing stammered, but Tao could already feel a rush going through him and he leaned in and captured Yixing’s lips with his.

 

They were soft and delving his tongue inside, Tao could taste a mixture of cake batter and potato chips. He kissed them harshly ignoring the muffled protests that vibrated against them. Yixing’s hands went to Tao’s shoulders and he tried to push him off. Tao growled and grabbed Yixing’s wrists pinning them above his head. He glared at the unicorn man, eyes swirling with lust. He had his prey, the pretty strong horse taken down by a leopard, but horses could get away faster than the prey Tao usually got.

 

Tao moved his lips to Yixing’s ear. He breathed against it and heard the unicorn man whimper. “You’re in love with me; does that mean you want these kinds of things, too? Getting princesses pregnant, I would have never thought unicorns did such naughty things.”

 

“I don’t,” Yixing protested.

 

“You seduced me,” Tao said and moved his hands to the bottom of Yixing’s muscle shirt, lifting it up. He felt along the flat lines of Yixing’s thin abs and shivered.

 

Tao didn’t like topping. His first time had been lying on his back in a barn and he wanted to feel different experiences in that position, mix up his partners and create his own best sex ever in his head. He only topped Baekhyun because the older begged for the position and because he was smaller. Yixing was about his Tao’s size, a little shorter, but all Tao could think about was ramming into the unicorn man’s taunt body.

 

“I didn’t,” Yixing protested again.

 

Tao could already see Yixing’s face scrunched up in first time pleasure. Maybe it was because Yixing was the epitome of purity that Tao wanted him so bad. He had lost that part of himself a long time ago.

 

“I need to fuck you, Yixing.”

 

Yixing stilled. His brown eyes cleared of fear and searched Tao. Clarity of understanding came over them that made Tao scared and his hold loosened on Yixing’s wrists. His wrists fell loose from Tao’s hold and settled around Tao’s neck.

 

“If it will make you feel better, Zitao,” Yixing said softly.

 

It was consent and that was as far as Tao wanted to take it. He leaned in and kissed Yixing again. The unicorn man tried to reciprocate the touches, but Tao had no patience to help the less experienced man get the hang of it. He moved his hands up Yixing’s chest and broke the kiss to lift the now soaked shirt over Yixing’s head. He through it over the shower bar and moved his lips along the chiseled line of Yixing’s collarbone.

 

Yixing shivered and a soft sound escaped him. His hands fell from Yixing’s neck to his sides and he stood there as Tao continued to kiss down. Tao ignored everything, all the wants to bite and suck splotches onto Yixing’s pale skin. He needed to be inside Yixing already to watch this unicorn man’s face in pain and pleasure. Luhan kept a bottle of lube in the shower. He said it was encase Tao decided to have shower sex with one of his partners, but Tao never brought them to the apartment, not even Baekhyun, at least not when he was going to sleep with Baekhyun. He had figured Luhan kept it there in hopes of having shower sex himself.

 

Tao grabbed the bottle and broke the seal. He poured some onto his fingers and looked at Yixing. His head was leaning back against the tiles, eyes closed, and his breathes ere like an athlete preparing for a long and energetic race. Tao grinned at the thought. He race wouldn’t be long, but he planned to leave Yixing limp.

 

He pulled the sweatpants down and slipped one finger between Yixing’s legs pushing it inside him. Yixing groaned and Tao lifted his hand to cover Yixing’s mouth. He didn’t want to hear any pain. He knew better than Yixing that it wouldn’t last long. A second finger was added and before the third, Tao moved his hips between Yixing’s legs. What sounded more like a moan escaped between Tao’s fingers and Tao moved his hand away. He grabbed Yixing’s thighs and lifted him up making him wrap his legs around his waist.

 

Tao reached around him to continue the prep, adding a third. He watched Yixing as he finished up. The unicorn man was biting his lip. His eyes fluttered opened every now and then and Tao could see they were blurry with tears. Pain, nerves, pleasure. Tao really hoped they were from all of them.

 

The transition between fingers and his penis was mere seconds. Tao pushed himself in the moment he removed his fingers. Yixing screamed. It was low and filled with so many expressions at once. Tao pressed Yixing securely between him and the shower wall. The water was already cold, but Tao was warm. It was warm. Inside Yixing was like a cozy heater, wet and tight and pulsing hot. Yixing’s fingers were digging into the back of his neck and he had rested his head on Tao’s shoulder. Tao waited until Yixing took a steady breath, the air ghosting against Tao’s ear, before moving.

 

The friction was good, better than Baekhyun or any of those other men he thought would fuck him good and ended up having fun all on their own riding him until sunrise. He held tight to one of Yixing’s thighs and steadied himself with an arm on the wall as he moved, going faster with each thrust.

 

Yixing was noisy. Not in a loud way, but he made soft noises like little neighs. He thought they were comparable to the purring a cat did when happy, but maybe this was more just a sexual noise. He would have thought it weird if it didn’t somehow make him drill in faster inside Yixing.

 

“Zitao. Zitao,” Yixing moaned in between the soft noises.

 

Tao’s chest constricted hearing his name. The moans were desperate, more calling for him to come instead of cum. Tao didn’t really understand where Yixing wanted him to come to, Yixing was already holding onto him tight. How much closer could he get?

 

“Hngh!...Zitao…” Yixing came just like that. Tao froze not really expecting it, but only for a second.

 

He was only seconds from soiling a unicorn.

 

He would have laughed if his hips hadn’t started moving first.

 

Tao came slamming Yixing hard against the tiled wall. His finger’s on Yixing’s thigh pressed hard, but he was sure those were the only marks he had left on the man’s body. What would Luhan be doing looking at Yixing’s thigh? He couldn’t be scolded by his roommate. Besides, Yixing consented and Yixing was in love with him.

 

He pulled out and let Yixing slide to the tub floor. Tao stared down at him from where he leaned against the wall catching his breath. Yixing looked like a crumbled wet mess, hair strands sticking to his face, eyes wet. Tao decided they were definitely tears and not just the shower sprinkling water onto his eyes. Tao turned away from him and quickly rinsed off. He could see their cum going with the water down the drain.

 

Tao stepped out and grabbed his clothes and a towel.

 

“Zitao,” Yixing said. His voice sounded hoarse.

 

Tao didn’t turn to look at him. Instead, he left. Guilt was coiling in his stomach. It wasn’t the flavor of guilt Tao liked.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

 

            Luhan stopped the cab when he was seven minutes from the apartment. He knew he must have forgotten something when he stepped into the taxi. It wasn’t until his mind started to run with fantasies of what could happen that night that he realized it. Like Tao had said, he’d forgotten a condom. He went over the thought of just going ahead without one. Who could expect a virgin to carry those around? But, he was twenty-seven. Kai would probably have them, but Luhan was older. Kai had more experience, but he was probably clean being young and so it was Luhan’s responsibility to chance it or not.

 

Eventually, Luhan asked the cabby to turn around and ventured the seven minutes back. He only had about then minutes before the taxi left to get to the apartment and grab one or the whole box whichever was less embarrassing if he managed to run into Tao. Did he even have condoms? Tao did, he might just have to sneak into his room and ‘borrow’ one…or two. He’d probably rip the first one.

 

Tao’s music was the only thing Luhan could hear in the apartment when he entered, muffled by his closed door. Luhan made his way to his room first and over to his underwear drawer. Tao bought him condoms every Christmas and birthday. Luhan usually threw them out, or Tao would steal the box back. He wondered if Tao had already stolen the box he had just recently gotten for his birthday. There was a shifting behind him that made Luhan turn to his bed immediately about to claim that he had forgotten his underwear because that was so much better than admitting to his roommate he’d forgotten a condom.

 

He probably wouldn’t even use it.

 

Yixing was on his bed. He was wrapped in Luhan’s sheet, only his eyes peeking out. Luhan squinted. His sheets looked damped.

 

“Yixing, are you alright?” Luhan asked approaching the bed.

 

Yixing curled the sheet tighter around his body. “Just cold.”

 

“Are you wet?” Luhan asked. “Why didn’t you dry off?”

 

“I’m just damp. I didn’t no what to wear.”

 

“You need new clothes? You can borrow any of my stuff,” Luhan said. “I usually don’t like letting people use my stuff, but you’re a unicorn, not people.” He grinned trying to be reassuring. There was something in Yixing’s eyes that seemed off.

 

“Okay,” was all Yixing responded with.

 

Luhan sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. He pulled out his invitation from his pocket and pushed it over to Yixing. “Kai invited you, too. You were a really good model and he thought maybe you’d meet someone to sponsor you if you came. I didn’t think it’d be a good idea, but here’s your invitation if you get sick or need to get in touch with me or Tao. I guess you still could go, but I don’t think Tao would like that very much.”

 

Yixing flinched at the mention of Tao’s name and Luhan grew weary. “Yixing, did Tao say something to you when I left?”

 

“He just got angry like he usually does,” Yixing said.

 

Luhan started to get up intent on giving Tao a quick lecture on hospitality and how to treat your charity cases, but Yixing stopped him.

 

“Don’t bother him right now.”

 

“Maybe I could find somewhere else for you to stay until you feel safe. I have some friends that would take you in,” Luhan said. “You don’t have to put up with Tao being an asshole even if you’re in love with him.”

 

“I’ve already committed myself to making him happy,” Yixing said and adjusted the blanket over his head.

 

Luhan sighed. “Alright, well, I just forgot something, so I’ll be going.”

 

Luhan went back to his underwear drawer and tore off two condoms before slipping them in his wallet.

 

“Is this the last time you’re going to smell powdery?” Yixing asked.

 

Luhan turned to him with a blush of embarrassment. Half of him hoped it was, the other half was prepared for this night to go terribly wrong. “Probably not.”

 

A grin appeared with Yixing’s eyes and Luhan caught sight of his dimple. His eyes shimmered with a stranger playfulness that felt eerie to Luhan.

 

“I think it will.”


	10. “…or make a beeline toward Kai.”

  **Chapter 10 “…or make a beeline toward Kai.”**

 

                    Kai was standing outside the club when Luhan arrived. At first Luhan thought maybe he had come out to meet him which meant he had been standing there then minutes too long since Luhan had gone back to the apartment and Luhan felt bad about making him wait, but there were a couple of men standing with him. One of them was smoking an e cigarette and the other a real one. Luhan could see Kai trying to stay out of the way of the smoke while still being polite. The cab stopped at the door and Luhan felt unsure if he should go straight in with his invitation or make a beeline toward Kai. He was here as Kai’s date, so he should make his appearance known.

 

“Kai,” Luhan called approaching the group with hesitation. The men with Kai looked about Luhan’s age, or what Luhan assumed guys his age should look like. He couldn’t really base it off himself with his baby face. 

 

“ _Hyung?”_ Kai looked up hearing his name and a smile broke across his face. He excused himself from the two men and went up to Luhan, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “You came just in time _hyung_. I didn’t know how much longer I could stand talking to those two. “

 

“Who were they?” Luhan asked as Kai started dragging him toward the club entrance.

 

Kai flashed a sort of pass at the bouncer and then gestured Luhan was with him before answering. “I think one of them was a porn director. He kept talking about his films and how they were popular, but he wouldn’t tell me the titles of them. Well he told me one, but it was those iffy kinds of titles. I don’t know who the other guy was.”

 

“Why were they talking to you?” Luhan asked.

 

Kai gave him a shit eating grin. “What, you jealous? I didn’t think you were the type.”

 

Luhan blinked going over his words again then shook his head. “No, no, I’m your manager. I can’t have other people scouting you.”

 

“But you’re not just my manager,” Kai said. “Unless you don’t count this as a date.”

 

“It’s a date,” Luhan said quickly and looked around the club. There were neon strobe lights flashing around the dance floor and people dancing on railings dressed in very little but very glittery clothing, both men and women. Kai led them to the bar where a bartender was performing a trick.

 

“What do you want to drink?” Kai asked.

 

“Oh, I don’t really drink,” Luhan said.

 

Kai looked at him curiously then frowned. “I’m not trying to get you drunk or anything. I was blunt about wanting to sleep with you; I’m not going to trick you into it.”

 

Luhan lifted a hand in defense. “It’s not that, I just don’t drink that often especially when I first get to a club.” Tao would drag him to clubs sometimes. Sehun use to do it, too, before when and after they were dating. Sometimes Luhan ended up having to stagger back home all alone. He’d rather not do that drunk.

 

Kai nodded then waved a few bills at one of the bartenders not participating in tricks. “Give us some cheese sticks, a large virgin pina colada. Two straws.”

 

“Two?” Luhan asked.

 

“So we can share,” Kai said. “If you’re not getting drunk then neither am I. It’s not fun that way.”

 

Luhan smiled appreciatively. The bartender came back with the cheese sticks first then started to mix their drink. Kai offered Luhan the basket.

 

“Oh, I’m not really hungry.”

 

“You should eat them. The party’s actually upstairs and all they have is shell fish. I heard you’re allergic to it.”

 

There was a fluttering in Luhan’s stomach. He didn’t know who had told Kai about his allergies, maybe Sehun, but he was glad Kai considered that. “It’s not that bad of an allergy, by face just gets chubby in the morning and maybe indigestion.”

 

Kai flashed him a grin. “I can’t have you having that.”

 

Luhan took a cheese stick and started nibbling it.

 

The music was loud, but filtered so it didn’t over power near the bar. Luhan found himself moving his feet and hips to the beat. He jumped when a hand landed on his hip.

 

“Do you want to dance, _hyung_?” Kai asked lips near Luhan’s ear.

 

Luhan shivered and took another cheese stick. “I do, that’s what you do at clubs.”

 

“Do you want to dance with me?”

 

Luhan glanced quickly sideways at Kai. His face was close and he could feel Kai’s hand moving around his hip to more of his stomach area.

 

“Are you a good dancer?”

 

“I’ve been dancing since I was six.”

 

Summoning some confidence, Luhan turned so he was facing Kai, trapped by the younger man’s arm and body. He smiled trying to seem flirtatious and placed a hand on Kai’s upper arm before running it down to his hand. “Well I guess I’ll have to see if it’s paid off.”

 

Luhan pulled Kai to the dance floor. It felt simpler now that he had started to play along. He stopped when they were in the middle of the floor, bodies pulsing around them, pushing them together. Luhan lifted his hands and started to move facing Kai. The model’s eyes were dark as they seemed to analyze Luhan’s movements and then Kai was moving with him.

 

Kai was hot.

 

Luhan stuttered a bit in following the rhythm watching the younger man. His thick lips insinuated his breaths and his eyes were so full of emotion, sensual emotion and then there was his body, black fancy sweatshirt riding up to give a glimpse of his sculpted stomach and happy trail. Luhan could understand how he had become an established model so easily on just a whim and a few good photo shoots.

 

The bodies around them pressed them closer as the song changed to something slower but heavier. Kai looked straight at Luhan as he approached and placed a hand on Luhan’s waist, not low enough to be groping, but low enough that it caused Luhan to gasp. Their crotches weren’t even inches from each other. Luhan looked up at Kai to see him staring at him with half lidded eyes. They were saying something, asking for something and Luhan felt shy. He turned away.

 

There were always people basically screwing on the dance floor in every club. It just so happened that the girl whose dress and thong were caught on her partner’s groping hands was just next to them. Luhan could see the man’s fingers moving to take advantage of the freedom to that spot he was probably hoping to get more than fingers in later on tonight. Luhan moved his head back only to have Kai’s lips breathing against his.

 

 “I’m going to kiss you, _hyung_ ,” Kai said.

 

Luhan couldn’t respond before the last syllable of _hyung_ was pressed against his own lips. Kai was kissing him. And no matter how many times Luhan had been kissed before, it always surprised him, the first kiss with someone new.

 

Kai’s kiss was the most surprising. He found himself reciprocating it before seconds had even past.

 

They pulled away after tongues had begun to be introduced. It was Kai that pulled away. Luhan had already started to loose himself, something he did too easily when it came to kissing. Kai’s lips felt like pillows. He liked pillows.

 

“I didn’t overstep by kissing you on the first date, did I?” Kai asked, a teasing tone in his voice, but Luhan could see sincerity in his lust-overed eyes.

 

“No, I’m far from my first kiss,” Luhan admitted.

 

Kai chuckled and it was deep and had Luhan keeping back a fan girl like moan. Deep and rich. Luhan was starting to understand what Yixing meant about chocolate.

 

“You know, we’re not even at the party yet,” Kai said. “It’s held upstairs.”

 

Luhan glanced up to where he could see people walking about staring down at them with champagne glasses in hand. “Are we ever going to the party?”

 

“No,” Kai said and placed both his hands firmly on Luhan’s hips bringing them closer until every inch of them touched. “That was just an excuse to get you on a date with me.”

 

Luhan moved his hands to hold Kai’s hips as well, one moving up to hold his shoulder and he smiled at the model. “I’m okay with that.”

 

He received another kiss as reward for his response.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            Tao arrived at the club with a heavy stomach, but light steps. Leaving Yixing in the shower after having sex with him wasn’t the worse way Tao had left a lover. There was one guy he had been riding that took too long to cum so Tao just got up and left. He got punched in the face about a week later, but that was a small price to pay for the loosening of muscles he got bringing back up all his old wushu skills on the guy. He hoped he wouldn’t have to do that with Yixing, but the unicorn man didn’t seem the types to hit. Maybe kick. Horses kicked.

 

Or were those donkeys?

 

The club was full and loud like any other club Tao had been to. He didn’t think he’d been to this one, at least not so early in the day when the bouncer was being picky. Tao had to flash his invitation twice to get him to let him in. He thought maybe to call Luhan to let his roommate know where he was. He climbed the stairs to the VIP area where it was a bit quieter and pulled out his phone, glancing out at the dance floor as he thought of what to text Luhan. He caught sight of blonde hair mingling with dark brown and grinned. Luhan was making out with his model in the middle of the dance floor. By the looks of Luhan’s eager hands Tao guessed Luhan would either take Kai back to their apartment or go to the model’s. Whether he stayed or not was up to Kai and how well he could sweet talk and old maid.

 

Tao decided to go ahead and head to the VIP room where the actual party was. It was one of the larger room and full of classier but still party dressed men and some women. By the brands they wore and how made up they looked, excessive makeup or natural, Tao could tell if they were women invited to the party or women the men just happened to pull off the dance floor below. There wasn’t really very much dancing, just talking and lounging on leather couches around a table of shell fish and champagne. Tao reached down for one of the glasses and sipped the golden drink, one arm wrapped around his waist. It was time to hunt.

 

When Tao was still in college he had gone to a party that was like a marathon of sex. It was the first time he had had any experience with women, letting two suck him off and then trying to eat another out. Afterwards he was very sure there would be no exceptions in his homosexuality so he went and had sex with maybe three more men at the party. He couldn’t remember how many, but he had been drunk and felt way too sore afterwards to go when invited again the next week. So, having sex with two people in one night wouldn’t be a problem.

 

Plus, he had fucked Yixing, not the other way around.

 

There was an American guy, tall and smooth faced, talking Korean to a small petite girl. Tao watched them, watched him, trying to guess what his job was. It had to be something to do with models. Maybe he was a model himself. An actor? An actor would be perfect for what Tao was looking for tonight. He was a bit taller, brawnier. Hopefully he wasn’t a top that bottomed.

 

The guy turned away from the girl and caught sight of Tao looking at him. Tao lifted his champagne glass and smirked. The man returned the smile and went back to talking to the girl, eyes looking Tao’s way every now and then. Tao stood and waited. He was kind of hungry though. He turned to grab a shrimp from the platter. He hooked it in his mouth and turned only for his eyes to widened meeting a long angular face only inches from his own.

 

“Yixing,” he muttered around the shrimp’s head.

 

The unicorn man blinked at him before lowering his head. He was wearing a hat so he couldn’t see his hair, the brim making a shadow over his eyes. He had on one of Luhan’s tight fitting shirts and slacks and shuffled his feet.

 

Tao frowned. “What are you doing here?”

 

Yixing flashed him the invitation. “Luhan said to come if there was an emergency.”

 

Tao groaned. He looked behind Yixing to where the man was. He was looking at them curiously. “You call for emergencies, Yixing, not come where you’re not wanted.”

 

“I have to tell you something and I have to tell you in person,” Yixing continued.

 

Tao lifted a hand and pushed Yixing aside so he wasn’t blocking his view of the man. “I already fucked you; can’t you be satisfied with that? I can’t be talking to you right now.”

 

“It’s about that,” Yixing said. “It’s really important, Zitao.” He sounded serious, but Tao didn’t want to deal with serious right now.

 

Tao laughed. “It’s not important. That man behind you, I’m going to let him fuck me tonight. That’s how important what we did was.”

 

Yixing looked up, hurt flashing across his eyes. He swallowed and Tao couldn’t help but watch his adam’s apple bob. The hurt was quickly replaced by determination. “It was important, it still is. You just can’t seem to see that yet, Zitao.”

 

“Go back to the apartment, Zitao. You can sleep on my bed, I won’t be coming home.” He pushed Yixing away more.

 

“I don’t have a key. I locked the door before coming here.”

 

Tao scoffed. “What, did you think I’d go home with you telling me whatever it was you were going to say?” He dug into his pocket and pulled out his keys handing them to Yixing. “Use mine. Stay in my room if you want. Jack off to my smell if you want. I really don’t care what you do, just go already. The guy will loose interest any second now.”

 

Yixing held the keys clenched tight in his hand and turned to look at the man. “You won’t like it. With him, you won’t like it.”

 

Tao was going to say something back, but Yixing started to walk away. Tao watched him. The hat was too big for his head. He felt a presence behind him and sighed.

 

“How about we get out of here,” the man said and placed a hand firmly on Tao’s shoulder.

 

Tao grinned, but his hand shook with its hold on the champagne glass.

 

“You took the words right out of my mouth.”

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            They stumbled into the apartment together, hands grabbing at their hair both to keep themselves anchored and to pull the other’s face back on theirs. Luhan ended up with his sweat soaked back on a plush couch looking up at a grinning Kai. Well, he wasn’t that sweaty, but they had danced quite a bit, more than they had groped and made out and that was something Luhan hadn’t experienced since his high school boyfriend which was more of a week long relationship until he got scared of people finding out he was gay and got in a fight with Luhan in front of a bunch of their friends that almost got physical. Luckily Luhan was well liked in school.

 

Kai slid onto the couch on top of Luhan, dark eyes molding Luhan into a lump of raging pent up hormones. Luhan slid back so his back ended up on the armrest and reached out to pull Kai down on him. Kai’s full lips covered his, sucking them, and easily overpowering the motions. Luhan made small groans having already given in hours ago.

 

Luhan had thought about this on the walk to Kai’s apartment. He had thought about whether it was really a good idea to get into another relationship with someone he was in charge of. Being with Sehun, there had been no problems work wise, he tried very hard to only let the smallest of crossing of the line the separated work and dating. He had mentioned that to Kai as well. Kai seemed to be professional enough to understand that their jobs came first. Kai was an amazing model and Luhan wanted him to succeed both because he was his manager and success meant more money and because he was more than a little in love with the younger man already.

 

Why else would he be highly considering having sex tonight?

 

Kai’s hand went under Luhan’s shirt and Luhan took that as he wanted it off. He was all too eager to help and shied away when Kai chuckled.

 

“Eager?” Kai teased and ran a hand down Luhan’s chest.

 

“D-didn’t you want it off?”

 

“Yes.” Kai’s hand moved back up and tweaked one of Luhan nipples. Luhan bit his lip.

 

He was just playing with him, flicking and pressing sensitive spots and Luhan was becoming aware of where he was. The couch was maroon and softer than the one Tao insisted they got, but it was starting to make his back hurt and he didn’t know where to put his legs. He glanced around and determined the apartment was big.

 

“Do…do you live alone?” Luhan asked.

 

“Yes,” Kai said and leaned down placing kisses on Luhan’s chest. They burned into Luhan’s skin and he squirmed a bit, breath getting heavy.

 

“It…It’s a really nice apartment.”

 

“It’s a condo,” Kai said then took one of Luhan’s nipples in his mouth and sucked.

 

Luhan arched and one of his hands went to Kai’s hair. It had been so long since someone had done that. His last boyfriend had only gotten heavy make out sessions and a few gropes at his crotch. Kai’s lips did it better though. They did everything better and he half wondered if they would suck him off better, too. Not that Luhan had ever had a blow job. He gave one once, but he didn’t tell Sehun or Tao that.

 

“Your heart’s beating so fast,” Kai said and placed his lips over where it was.

 

“Don’t say obvious things,” Luhan groaned out. His pants were tight. He wanted to take them off, too. Did Kai want him to?

 

Kai sat up and looked down at Luhan. His eyes were swirling pools of lust filled chocolate, but there was a hesitation in them. He moved his hands to Luhan’s stomach softly pressing down on it like a nursing kitten.

 

“Can I take you, Luhan?”

 

His voice was deep and soft and it caught Luhan off guard before the question did. He was asking for his virginity. Was he just supposed to say yes? Or did he get a decision? Sehun had been the only one to ask before, but Luhan had smacked him on the back of the head and said he was too young to have sex. Luhan’s other boyfriends over the year didn’t ask, they just tried until Luhan had to pull away. He had wanted to be asked then and Kai and he were plenty old enough.

 

“Yes,” Luhan said. He felt a weight settle in his stomach, but it was eased away by Kai’s pawing. He closed his eyes for a moment to gain confidence then opened them. “Can we move to a bed? My back’s hurting.”

 

Kai looked sheepish for a second and climbed off. “Sorry my couch isn’t comfortable.”

 

Luhan stood. “It’s better than mine.”

 

Kai took his hand and led him to a door on the far wall of the living room. Kai’s bedroom was large as well, but sparse with only a bed and a dresser. The bed was big and had a lot of pillow built up at the headboard.

 

“Did you just move in?”

 

Kai pulled him to the bed and sat him down. “Yeah, when I switched over to _Ace’s_. You get to christen this bed.”

 

Luhan laughed a bit knowing he was the first one Kai had brought to this particular room. He was cut off by the sound of his zipper being pulled down.

 

“Lean back,” Kai commanded.

 

Luhan did so, lifting his hips when Kai started to pull his pants down, laughing seeing Luhan without underwear.

 

“Your jeans were so tight; I wondered why I couldn’t see any lines.”

 

Luhan’s stomach fluttered with the teasing and he lay back so he wouldn’t have to see Kai’s expression. His breath hitched when he felt Kai wrap a hand around his member and stroke it.

 

“Have you ever had a blowjob before?” Kai asked.

 

“No,” Luhan managed to squeak out between the little runs of pleasure running courses in his mind from Kai’s hand.

 

The hand disappeared and Luhan looked up just in time to see lips disappear over his tip. He moaned and flopped back down as Kai started to move his lips over his member.

 

“K-Kai…” Luhan said, hand fisting on the sheets.

 

Kai licked a trail up his member. “We’re not at work; call me by my actual name.”

 

“Jongin…mnh.” Luhan leaned up to watch Kai again. It was fascinating, how those thick lips moved up and down his pulsing member. He wanted to cum against them; watch it leak between Kai’s lips, but more than that, Luhan wanted to cum from being penetrated by Kai. He moved a hand to Kai’s hair, holding tight to steady himself as the pleasure got hotter in his stomach and the shocks of it in his brain became a burn up pile of pleasure.

 

Kai pulled off seconds before Luhan thought he was going to loose it. He started to undress and Luhan squirmed about on the bed to get a better position and watched Kai undress. His body was lean, but muscled. He had shown him a few ballet moves on the way to Kai’s condo. Tao had made Luhan go with him to a ballet once. Ballerinos were built.

 

Kai walked over to his dresser and opened it. He pulled out lube and waved a condom at Luhan. “Do you want me to wear one of these? I only do if I can’t trust my partner to be clean.”

 

Luhan squirmed more on the bed. “This time, please.”

 

Kai nodded and brought the lube and condom over. Luhan watched him approach, watched his penis get harder and bounce. He shivered thinking that was going to be inside him, the first one inside him. The only one? Luhan wouldn’t think that far ahead. He opened his legs wide when Kai kneeled on the bed.

 

“You’re not as shy as I thought you’d be about this,” Kai said and placed one hand on Luhan’s knee.

 

“I’m almost thirty, there’s not time for that. Fuck me, please.” His stomach was curling in on itself and his hands felt sweaty. He was nervous though.

 

Kai laughed. “I’ll make love to you.”

 

Luhan blinked. “You’re not in love with me.”

 

Kai bent down over Luhan and kissed him. “Then I’ll make like until I am.”

 

He felt a finger slide into him. He hadn’t heard Kai uncap the bottle and he hissed at the sting of its entrance. He hadn’t gotten around to playing with himself down there. Luhan was always busy with work or not working and masturbating just made him realize how old he was and how virgin he was so he didn’t do it often.

 

There was a second finger and Luhan shivered. He bit his lip to keep from making his discomfort noticeable, but he whined at the third. Kai started to do that petting thing again on his stomach as he worked his fingers inside Luhan, reaching deeper and deeper until Luhan gasped when he grazed something inside him.

 

“Was that it?” Kai asked and pulled his fingers out.

 

Luhan body tightened without the intrusion forcing him to loosen up and tightened more hearing the condom wrapper torn and the squeak of soft rubber as it was unrolled. There was a nudge at his entrance and Luhan felt fear seize him. That was what usually happened when he was with a man, but it happened much sooner than this. He still had time to back out, seconds to say no.

 

“You have to stay loose because it’ll hurt. You sure you want me to do this?” Kai asked.

 

“Are you sure?” Luhan asked. He knew it was stupid to shoot back the question, but it just came out.

 

Kai chuckled. “I want you. You can stay the night and we’ll go out again tomorrow.”

 

Stay the night and another date. Luhan nudged his hips back down. “Okay.”

 

It hurt. Luhan wasn’t use to this at all. He shifted and whimpered until Kai finally leaned down and kissed him hard to stop. He kissed back desperate for something to ease the pain. Kai moved, just barely and Luhan tightened his legs to his hips.

 

“Easy,” Kai breathe against his lips and kissed him harder, tongue sliding against tongue and touching sweet spots that had Luhan shivering with pleasure again. He shifted his hips. Kai started to move.

 

It was slow and thought painful, Luhan felt impatient with the speed. Kai gave a hard thrusts and Luhan arched feeling that place being grazed again. Kai pressed lower on Luhan, stomach rubbing against his member. It started to feel good and Luhan moved his hips with Kai.

 

“Mnh…Jongin…there,” Luhan moaned. His hands moved to Kai’s shoulders and he held himself tight to the younger man.

 

Kai’s speed picked up and his thrusts slammed in hard and deep. The movements Luhan had seen him display on the dance floor seemed to be more than for looking sexy; they proved to work their point. Luhan wondered what they looked like going inside him. Did it look sexy like on the dance floor. Did Kai look like a pistol fast rabbit? Luhan laughed at the image and earned himself a kiss on the side of his mouth from Kai. Then Kai kissed his neck, sucking, making marks and Luhan didn’t have the energy for imagination.

 

Honestly, Luhan thought it ended much too soon, but it wasn’t like he could go on for much longer. The heat in his stomach came on quickly and erupted before he could warn Kai. He felt the wet sticky mess shoot across his stomach and chest and looked into Kai’s eyes with a pout. Kai was still moving, but Luhan’s body was limp as he tried to catch himself from the sheer force of the orgasm so he could hurry Kai onwards. He came when Luhan had finally gotten the breath to talk. Luhan could feel the wet warmth feeling the condom against his walls.

 

Kai pulled out and kissed him languidly. He rolled to the side and pulled off his condom, tying it and throwing it somewhere, Luhan had looked away when he realized again that Kai was naked beside him. Naked because they had just had sex. Luhan had just had sex.

 

For the first time.

 

Luhan turned on his side and curled up, shivering. Kai placed a hand on his hip.

 

“What’s wrong?” Kai asked.

 

“Embarrassed,” Luhan admitted.

 

Kai laughed at him. “After? You’re silly, _hyung_.”

 

Luhan felt Kai move on the bed and felt him spoon against his back, holding him around the waist. “It’s good you turned around, I can hold you better like this.” He settled his nose into Luhan’s hair. “You smell nice.”

 

“What do I smell like?” Luhan asked suddenly remembering Yixing’s words. The unicorn man had been right.

 

“Other than sex? Powdery.”

 

A smile found its way on Luhan’s lips and he scooted back against Kai.

 


	11. “…unless Tao was under a spell?”

**Chapter 11 “…unless Tao was under a spell?”**

 

            It was hot. Tao didn’t remember falling asleep this hot. Sweaty yes, but he hadn’t felt like he was going to suffocate with how thick the air was around him. He sat up in bed and held his head feeling dizzy. He needed water and some aspirin. They couldn’t have gone that hard last night that he would have to stay in bed. Certainly the American man had been kinkier than Tao had first taken him for, but it wasn’t anything that would make Tao leave. Had he taken a few more rounds while Tao was still asleep? His hips hurt.

 

“Oh, you’re awake.”

 

Tao looked up and blinked at the man as he walked out of a door near the closet. A rush of steam came out with him and Tao coughed then sniffed.

 

“It’s hot.”

 

The man approached the bed and sat on it leaning toward Tao. “I have a sauna function in my shower. It’s good for the skin after a night like we had.” He captured Tao’s lips and kissed him. Tao just sat there still trying to understand why you would need a sauna in April.

 

“It’s, too hot. I need a drink.”

 

The man leaned away frowning then stood and disappeared into the bathroom again. He came out carrying a glass of water and aspirin. Tao took them and down the pills then down all the water. His throat didn’t feel like it was going to close in on itself anymore. He lifted his hands to his hair and pushed it back hearing a clink from his left hand. The handcuffs the man had used last night were still stuck to his wrist.

 

“Take this off,” Tao said holding his arm out. “I told you to take it off before I went to sleep.”

 

The man pulled out a key from his dresser and put it in the lock. “You said to let you free.”

 

Tao frowned. “Tell me when your shower’s not so steamy. I have to take a shower before I head home.”

 

“I can drive you home,” the man offered.

 

Tao threw the blankets off him and stood stretching out. “No, I have a meeting for work.”

 

“Then I can take you to work. It’s not bad being seen with Julian Kang,” the man said and shot what was probably supposed to be a charming smile at Tao. It probably worked on women, but Tao just stared.

 

“Who’s Julian Kang?”

 

The man looked taken aback. “I am. Julian Kang, actor. I’ve had a few starring roles in movies recently.”

 

“Must not have seen them,” Tao said and finished stretching. 

 

The man, Julian, came up behind him and placed a hand on Tao’s waist. “I could show you some of them if you stayed a while.”

 

Tao walked away and went on a search for his clothes. “Not interested.”

 

“So this was just a one time thing?” Julian asked.

 

Tao finished gathering his clothes and turned to the man. “If you were looking for more, your opening line probably shouldn’t have been ‘How about we get out of here’.”

 

He headed to the bathroom without another word. It was still steamy, but Tao wanted to hurry up and get out of Julian Kang’s apartment. He didn’t like clingy guys. The thought brought up pictures of Yixing. Yixing was different, though. He was clingy from the beginning.

 

He was a unicorn, too.

 

Or a wizard, Tao was leaning more toward a wizard. How else would Yixing be able to plague his mind so much unless Tao was under a spell?  

 

He had thought about him. Because he had come to the party, Tao had thought about him and that was the only reason he’d agreed to the handcuffs. Usually he just liked plain and simple sex with kinks that could be done without anything extra, like maybe the guy wanted to rim him or the other way around, or a certain position they were fascinated with. Hair pulling. But the moment he had stumbled into the actor’s apartment, Tao had started thinking about him. Maybe he should have done what he did in the shower. Yixing’s skin was still fresh against his. He could still hear the unicorn man’s moans against his ear as they moved together against the shower wall.

 

Tao needed to think about something else. He was in a shower, someone else’s shower.

 

Had Luhan gone home with Kai, or did he chicken out again?

 

Tao came out of the bathroom only when the steam had finally gone down. He took a cold shower not wanting to chance anything and he didn’t think he could take any more humidity. Julian Kang was sitting on his bed watching television. He looked up at Tao almost hopefully. Tao just ruffled his hair with the towel and turned to the bedroom door that, if he remembered correctly, led to a small kitchen and living room area.

 

“Are you really going to a meeting now?” he asked.

 

Tao checked himself in the mirror. “It’s not for work, but I do have a meeting with my boss.”

 

Julian scoffed. “You sleep with your boss?”

 

Tao pulled out his phone. He had a text from Luhan. One text. He didn’t even have to read it to know his roommate had stayed with Kai and smiled to himself. He felt kind of proud of the older man.

 

“Slept. He wasn’t my boss then.”

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

 

            Tao stopped by a clothing store on his way to _Ace’s_. He had the thought that he could have just bought clothes at _Ace’s_ as it was a clothing company, but nothing in stock was really what he felt like wearing and Kris would probably already be waiting in the lobby. He dressed casual, but obvious that he had some taste. Kris would probably look like a runway model. He didn’t know what casual was since moving to New York.

 

The cab dropped him off at the coffee shop. He had gotten it after the quick shopping trip and left his old clothes inside. He had more clubbing clothes that could get him a better lay than he had last night. Tao got a coffee, fixed with all the sugar and fat there could be, and crossed the road to _Ace’s_. The other receptionist was there. She wasn’t as pretty as the one that had Tao’s number, but younger. Tao had thought she was an intern, but she looked like she hated the job while taking it too seriously at the same time. She pulled out her clipboard and looked at Tao.

 

“You’re not scheduled this Saturday. You got two Saturdays off in a role.”

 

Tao held his coffee cup up to her. “I have over time today. I’m meeting the boss.”

 

She made a face. “You’re going on a date?”

 

Tao raised a brow. Homophobic? Or just jealous she wasn’t pretty enough to get a gay man’s attention?

 

“You know your boss is engaged to a man, right? And yeah, we’re going on a date. Isn’t that what friends do?” Tao took a sip of his drink and reveled in the agony of wanting to quite that crossed the receptionist face. He really liked the weekday girl better.

 

The elevator doors dinged open and Tao turned to see Kris walk out dressed a little bit more down than usual. He looked straight, which Tao supposed was a good thing because it meant more girls would flock to _Ace’s_ even if Kris was married to a man.

 

Kris adjusted the sleeves of his sports jacket then looked up finally seeing Tao there. “Oh, you already got coffee.”

 

Tao shook the cup at him. “What, were you going to buy me one?”

 

“Well, this is for your birthday after all. I won’t be here for it and we’ll be busy every other week for the next few months.”

 

Tao swirled the straw around in his drink mixing the whipped cream in with the coffee. “You don’t always have to take me out for my birthday.”

 

Kris reached a hand out and ruffled Tao’s hair. “You’re like my little brother. I give you enough crap the rest of the year; I can spoil you for one day.”

 

Tao’s heart swelled and deflated at the same time. He had gotten use to it for the past decade he had known Kris. “Alright, then spoil me already.”

 

They went outside to stand on the sidewalk. A car rolled up at Kris’ feet, sleek and black with a tuxedo wearing driver in the front.

 

“Did you finally get a personal car?” Tao asked as he moved to get in.

 

“No, I rented it for today.”

 

Tao looked around and started to mess with the controls finding the separator between the front seats and the back seats and left it up. “You should just get a car. You’ll be too famous to walk around by yourself soon.”

 

Kris swatted at his hands to keep him from touching anything else. “I don’t want to waste money.”

 

Tao sat back and crossed his arms. “You should think about Minseok then. He’s going to get harassed walking around all by himself after he marries you. There are tons of girls and men with crushes on you.”

 

Kris laughed. “Minseok already knows. He doesn’t want a personal driver either. “

 

“What are we doing today?” Tao asked and looked out the window. They passed by the vendor on the corner that sold knock off brand name bags and he rolled down his window to flick him off. He caught Kris scolding him in the reflection of the window as he rolled it back up.

 

“Shopping.”

 

“Gucci?” Tao asked hopefully reaching a finger out and poking Kris reflection.

 

Kris sighed. “If that’s what you want, but you can’t max out my card like you did last time. I’m actually having to start to worry about my bank accounts because of you and your ‘emergency’ spending barrages.”

 

Tao laughed, but it was only to cover up the flashes of Yixing’s face that went across his mind. He had needed those shopping sprees.

 

They stopped at a mall and Tao rushed inside. He had forgotten about it, his Kris Day. Since they had been young, they had always spent one day close to Tao’s birthday together and Kris would buy him whatever he liked until he ran out of money. Tao had never been particularly thoughtful of Kris’ pocket, he had been a bit of a brat, actually, when Kris would tell him the money was all gone, but then he would take Tao to watch fireflies at the stream behind Kris’ apartment complex or they would walk on the beach and make sand castles under the moonlight. Just like with the money, Tao hadn’t been thoughtful of why Kris did those things, but they didn’t have to worry about money now. And Tao didn’t have to worry about why. He knew why.

 

“I need a new wallet,” Tao announced when they walked into the Gucci store.

 

“What do you need a wallet for, you don’t even carry your own money around,” Kris said shoving Tao to the side playfully.

 

Tao glared at him then grinned. “I have to have something to carry your debit card in, and your credit card, and maybe I can charm my way into getting Minseok to give me your third card.”

 

Tao went to the display case and looked over the rows and rows of ridiculously priced wallets. “It’s not like he’ll use it unless you make him. The only thing he buys without thinking is food.”

 

“He does have good taste in food,” Kris said and went over to the watch selection next to the wallets.

 

“Why don’t you get something for your boyfriend,” Kris said.

 

“What boyfriend,” Tao said and pointed to a wallet waving the guy texting behind a pillar to get it out.

 

“Didn’t you spend the night with him?” Kris asked.

 

Tao fingered through the wallet then handed it back to the guy and pointed to another. “No, that was just a one night thing.”

 

“Then who’s the guy that keeps bringing you and Luhan lunch?”

 

Tao immediately rejected the next wallet. “My charity case.”

 

“You don’t like charity. How about this one?” he pointed to a chestnut colored wallet. The guy pulled it out.

 

“It looks good on resumes.”

 

“Are you quitting?” Kris teased and looked through the wallet before handing it to Tao.

 

“No, I’m going to be head.” Tao took the wallet. The inside was a chocolate color and the pockets were still rough. “Is this a new brand?”

 

“Yes, we just got the shipment in a couple days ago.”

 

Tao put the wallet down on the top of the glass case and tapped it. He was always fond of the newer styles.

 

The guy took it and rung it up.

 

 

“You’re smarter than I thought, Zitao,” Kris said and moved back to the watches.

 

Tao tapped the top of the glass case, waiting. “I would hope so, Yifan.”

 

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            Tao’s stomach was full with buttered lobster and two large slices of devil’s food cake and his veins were wired with the extra large frappuccino the had convince Kris to get him while they wondered around the mall. The three bags of clothing and knick knacks he had filled on Kris’ credit card were heavy on his fat burning body and he just wanted to curl up in a corner and sleep. Kris had offered to drop him off at the apartment before he went back to _Ace’s_ to finish up some stuff he didn’t want to do the next day because the next day was tuxedo fitting with Minseok, but Tao had decided he didn’t want to go home. He wanted to work on his portfolio. Walking around with Kris at the mall, he had found if not talking to his boss or ogling expensive clothes, the only thing that kept him from thinking about Yixing was thinking about his portfolio. He still had the unicorn theme, but he sort of liked where the designs forming in his head were going. He just needed another way of describing them.

 

“I could have at least dropped you off at your apartment so you could drop your bags off. I could have said hi to Luhan, I haven’t seen him in a while,” Kris said as they walked out of the taxi and toward the doors of _Ace’s_.

 

Tao scoffed. “He works for you and lives with me, how is it you two can go months without more than see each other across a room? Besides, Luhan probably wouldn’t have been there.”

 

“Why not?” Kris asked opening the door.

 

“Well, he either is there and is crying his eyes out and, trust me, you don’t want to be there for that, or he’s still letting his new boyfriend fuck his brains out.” Tao walked through the door and went to the elevator, using his foot to push the up button.

 

“He had sex? The last rumor I heard, he was still a ‘slutty’ virgin. Who’s the boyfriend?”

 

Tao laughed and put one of his bags down handing the other to Kris so he could pull his phone out. “That’s a horrible way to describe him. And the boyfriend is someone you should probably give him a lecture over.”

 

“Is it Sehun again?” Kris asked.

 

“Kai,” Tao said smiling seeing that Luhan was on a date with Kai and wasn’t in the apartment crying because Kai kicked him out after getting his ass eating up all of Yixing’s cake. “The new model you put him in charge of.”

 

“Doesn’t he know it’s never a good idea to date your client?” Kris sighed and handed Tao back his bag before getting off. “I have business on this floor. You had fun right?”

 

Kris’ face looked a bit worried, his usual features softened like Tao was use to him looking at him. Like an older brother. He closed his eyes for a second then smiled softly.

 

“Yeah, thanks Yifan _ge_.” The doors started to close and when the elevator lift started up again, he leaned back and took a deep breath. He loved the one day a year he got solely with Kris, but since he was seventeen, they had left a bitter taste in his mouth afterwards.

 

He got to his floor and walked out of the elevator still struggling with the three full bags. He dropped them by the door and immediately went to his drawing desk, pulling out the old sketches to reevaluate them. The girl’s dress was too long and the designs were too obvious. He’d have to transfer it to the computer to get the right amount of fade he wanted with the pink-gray leopard print and he needed to lower the neck. A talk with one of the directors in the sewing department could help him with the details of how that would work. The guy’s shirt was all wrong. Tao crumbled it up and started anew, starting with something princely and European. Unicorns. Well, if that’s what he had said, he could go with it for now and change it up when he had something to make more bull crap of. He removed the sleeves and put slits in it then pulled out a chestnut color. He had two that was a start.

 

Tao jumped when he felt a hand land on his shoulder. He had gotten two more sketched out, lost deeply in his work he hadn’t noticed someone enter his office. He swirled around to see Baekhyun there.

 

“What are you doing at _Ace’s_?” Tao asked.

 

Baekhyun smirked at him. “One of the other designers has been working on a jewelry line. They got their main pieces in and called me. I am the best hand model there is around here.” He waved his hands at Tao and Tao caught sight of a silver and diamond bracelet-ring combination.

 

“You’re going to return that, right? I’m not going to let you still from Kris,” Tao said pointing to it.

 

Baekhyun frowned and covered his hand up. “I was only going to barrow it.

 

“How many karats?” Tao asked.

 

Baekhyun made a face then started to unclip the jewelry. “Too many.”

 

He dropped it in his hand and Tao walked out to put it back in the photo shoot studio. Baekhyun followed him into the elevator. 

 

“So, I didn’t see you around earlier,” Baekhyun commented.

 

“Someone took me on a birthday date,” Tao answered.

 

“Oh, isn’t your birthday next month? We’re the same month, right?”

 

Tao nodded. “They couldn’t do it any time closer so we went today.”

 

“Oooh, is that what all those bags were at your door? I saw Gucci.”

 

Tao sighed. “It was the boss.”

 

Baekhyun grinned at Tao. “Sleeping with the boss now? Wait, isn’t he getting married?”

 

“We’re just friends,” Tao said and stepped out of the elevator once on the right floor. Baekhyun followed after him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

 

“You’re never ‘just friends’ with anyone. Take me for instance.”

 

Tao glanced Baekhyun up and down then raised a brow. “When did I ever say we were friends?”

 

Baekhyun smacked the back of his head a littler harder than lightly. “We’re friends. The only person I could think, of that you’re ‘just friends’ with is your roommate, but that’s because he’s still a virgin.”

 

Tao walked into the studio and dropped the jewel on a random table that hadn’t been cleaned yet then started back out, walking along the hall. The shutters were open on the windows and Tao stopped to look out them. It was late already. He’d head home.

 

“He lost it since last night to our new model.”

 

“That’s not all that surprising,” Baekhyun said. “But good for him, I saw some proofs of a photo shoot you guys just did hanging up. Is he the darker skinned Asian, or the one with a really pretty horse face?”

 

Tao paused. Yixing. “The darker one.”

 

Baekhyun hummed and looked out the window as well. “Oh, hey, that guy looks like the hot ring leader from the circus we went to.”

 

“The one that caught on fire?” Tao asked and looked across to where Baekhyun was pointing. In front of the coffee shop across from _Ace’s_ stood a man in green. Tao really couldn’t make out his features. “He wouldn’t be here. I’m going home anyways.”

 

Baekhyun knocked shoulders with Tao. “How about you come over to my apartment instead.”

 

“I’m not in the mood for sex,” Tao said.

 

“I’m not in the mood for it either, I’ve had horrible luck with my partners the past two weeks, I just need someone to cuddle with, eat ice cream, and cry over movies.”

 

“We’re not teenage girls, Baekhyun,” Tao said moving to the elevator.

 

“Fine, then we’ll jack off to horrible gay porn and see who can cum the fastest while drinking beer and eating chicken wings.” Baekhyun got onto the elevator and pressed Tao’s floor.

 

The doors started to close and Tao glared at them. “Ice cream sounds better.”


	12. “…or ice cream.”

**Chapter 12 “…or ice cream.”**

 

            He emerged from his room on Sunday afternoon refreshed from the weekend. It wasn’t often Tao felt like this, but sometimes Baekhyun could be of a lot of help, a friend could be a lot of help. Tao started making his way to the kitchen for an apple or something that wasn’t greasy or ice cream. He walked into the living room just as Luhan opened the door wearing clothes one size too big and a smile that stretched too far across his face. Tao hummed and stopped in front of Luhan.

 

“Are you just now getting back? Tao asked grinning when Luhan flushed pink. He tried to move around Tao, but Tao just followed him. “How many times did you guys fuck? Is your ass nice and sore?”

 

Luhan glared and finally got around him. Tao slapped his butt as he passed.

 

“Yah, Tao!” Luhan rubbed his bottom. “No, we only had sex three times, that night and in the morning, and last night. The rest of the time we went on a date.” Luhan started for his room.

 

“How many times did he go down on you?”

 

Luhan raised his right hand with all five fingers before disappearing behind his door.

 

Tao laughed and began his journey for healthy food again. There was a fruit bowl on the counter that only ever housed apples and half of them went bad before they went shopping again. He grabbed one and moved to the fridge finding the last cake Yixing had made almost gone.

 

“Luhan, how come Yixing hasn’t’ made anymore cake?” he yelled.

 

“Probably because you’re getting fat,” Luhan yelled back.

 

Tao pulled the cake out and shut the door. Luhan walked in in his usual clothes and a towel around his shoulders.

 

“I don’t know why he hasn’t made anymore cake; you’re the one who’s been here all weekend.”

 

“No, I only got here this morning then I slept until noon. I went to Baekhyun’s after I went shopping with Kris.” Tao stuffed a piece of cake in his mouth. It was starting to go stale.

 

“You slept with Baekhyun again? I thought you were getting good ass this week? Heard you went home with some movie star.” Luhan pulled juice out of the fridge and leaned against the counter next to Tao.

 

“They guy was clingy. And now, we just hung out. We’re friends, you know.”

 

“Friends with benefits.”

 

“Friends all the same.” He stuck another piece in his mouth. “Wasn’t Yixing in your bedroom just now?”

 

Luhan looked around startled. “He wasn’t here when you got here?”

 

“I thought he was sleeping in your bed.” Tao put his fork in the sink and transferred the last piece of cake onto a smaller plate before putting it back in the fridge.

 

“Well, he wasn’t and he wasn’t in the bathroom. Maybe he went to buy groceries.”

 

“That would be a good idea, we’re almost out.” Tao headed for the bathroom.

 

“But he doesn’t have any money.”

 

“Fresh air then.” Tao opened the bathroom door and turned the faucet on. He started to wash off his face. All the greasy food he had with Baekhyun wasn’t going to do good for his skin.

 

Luhan walked in and grabbed the shaving cream. Tao was about to comment how he didn’t need it before he rolled up one of his pant legs. He was starting to look a little prickly, not that Luhan was very hairy in the first place. It was getting hotter though, and Luhan liked to wear shorts and go about with a school boy fashion. School boys didn’t have hairy legs.

 

“How was Yixing expecting to get in if he left, though? You would have gotten mad if he left the door unlocked.”

 

“You would have gotten mad, too. I gave him my key.”

 

Luhan stopped putting cream on his legs and looked at Tao. “How did you get in then if he wasn’t here when you got home?”

 

Tao frowned. He remembered remembering that when he got to the door. He had knocked a few times then figured the unicorn man was either ignoring him, asleep, or otherwise preoccupied and started looking around the door. He had found a pair of familiar looking keys under the door mat.

 

“I used the spare.”

 

“We don’t have a spare or else I would have given them to Yixing.”

 

Tao paused, one half of his face covered in lotion. He moved his gaze to behind Luhan where the shower was. He blinked and thought about he keys again. He had been half asleep and possibly a little drunk. They had gone out for early morning martinis before Baekhyun dropped Tao off at his apartment. He quickly went back to washing his face.

 

“Yixing told me you guys fought before the party,” Luhan said.

 

“We didn’t fight.”

 

“Yixing said you did. I found him curled up on my bed all wrapped up in my sheet.”

 

“You came back?” Tao asked and began rubbing the lotion into his skin.

 

“I forgot the condom, okay.” Luhan started to run the razor down his leg. “Anyways, he had taken a shower and you guys fought so he was trying to stay out of your way.”

 

Tao frowned. Had Yixing left? It wasn’t a good time for him to leave, though, if that really had been the ring leader Baekhyun had pointed out last night. But, Tao wasn’t really responsible for Yixing. Was he?

 

“He probably left.”

 

“Why would he leave? Ouch!” Luhan lightly dabbed at a small razor cut.

 

Tao sighed annoyed. “Probably because I fucked him.”

 

Luhan dropped his razor altogether. “You did what?”

 

Tao dried his face off and motioned to the shower. “We had sex in the shower. I slammed him up against the wall and fucked him.”

 

“You…You…He was a virgin, Tao, you can’t just go and do that,” Luhan protested.

 

“Why not? He said I could. It was consented to.”

 

“He loves you, Tao.”

 

Tao walked out of the bathroom and growled softly to himself hearing Luhan rush out. He turned on his roommate to see Luhan still had shaving cream on his leg soaking into his falling pant leg.

 

“I know he does. He told me that himself right before he consented.”

 

“He’s a unicorn, Tao. And don’t give me shit about him just being a magician. He’s not a magician.”

 

Tao rolled his eyes. “Fine, he’s a unicorn. What does that have to do with virginity and not taking it?”

 

Luhan stepped back. “I’m…not sure.”

 

“I’ll reevaluate it when you are sure,” Tao said and started for his room.

 

“Tao, he can fix you!” Luhan called after him.

 

Tao paused at his door then spun around and glared at Luhan. “I don’t want to be fixed. I like being broken. That’s what everyone thinks, that I’m broken. There’s no use in being fixed.” He turned back to his door and started inside.

 

“Zitao, you jerk, stop being afraid of being broken again!”

 

Tao slammed the door and leaned against it. He put his hand over his chest trying not to go out there and show Luhan whether it was easy to break him or not. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath then opened then and looked across the room. On his dresser were the ‘spare’ keys. They had a Kung Fu Panda keychain on them. His keys.

 

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            Tao sat at his desk doodling pandas and emoticons on the edge of his paper, a naked figure staring at him with a blank face. Kris had texted him that his portfolio was due soon and he had gotten to work early Monday to work on it. Nothing. He had nothing. He had to force himself from deleting the files of the two designs he already made.

 

“You have a photo shoot in ten.”

 

Tao’s pencil lead broke and he turned to where he heard Luhan’s voice seeing the late bloomed man leaning against his door frame. “I know.”

 

“It’s Sehun’s last one before he goes to Europe.”

 

Tao stuck his pencil in the electric sharpener and talked over its whirling sound. “I know that, too.”

 

“It’s Sehun, Kai and your pick for the third. Who did you pick for the third model?”

 

Tao let the sharpener eat the pencil half way down before he pulled it out and slammed it on his desk. “Shit, I forgot about the third model.” He turned to Luhan and looked him up and down. “You’re a little small for what I made the clothes, but you can try.”

 

Luhan waved his hands in front of him. “No, no, I’m not modeling especially between those two. Do you know how awkward it’d be trying to look all professional standing next to the guy I just lost my virginity to and the guy that gave me my first hand job?”

 

“Sehun was your first hand job?” Tao asked.

 

“Shut up!” Luhan said quickly then turned. “Do I need to cancel the shoot? Kris won’t be happy.”

 

Tao bent forward and ruffled his hair then through himself back on the seat. “No, I’ll find someone real quick, just hold off thirty minutes.”

 

Luhan nodded and left. Tao pulled his phone out and started going through his contacts trying to find a model that owed him a favor and wasn’t currently involved in work. He could call Baekhyun, but that was risking the shoot. Baekhyun was a good model for selling accessories, his hands and face were nice, but put up against Kai and Sehun in full body pictures, he would get lost. He needed someone that could both blend and enhance how Kai and Sehun wore their clothes. Who? Who?

 

Tao lowered his phone and closed his eyes. It was a sports clothing line, one Tao had come up with last year that was only know getting worked on as Kris had already one of his own creations in making. They would appeal to college and high schoolers with interest in sports and exercise. Kai was the sexy bad boy style and Sehun the rich beautiful kid that didn’t really wear sports clothes because he was good at sports but because they were expensive. Baekhyun would look odd without at least a fourth person to balance him out as well. He had only planned the shoot for three. Tao could use a non Asian model, but he liked to work with an oriental face as a sort of subliminal way of getting Americans and those in the west use to them.

 

Tao’s phone suddenly started to vibrate and he lifted it to his ear. “Hello.”

 

“Mr. Huang, that guy’s here again,” the week day receptionist said.

 

That guy. Yixing? A mix of soft and hard features, at first overlooked, but something always brought back for a second glance. And he didn’t have a bad body line.

 

“Send him to the photo shoot studio.”

 

Tao stood up and slipped his phone into his pocket. He went to his file cabinet and pulled out his binder with the directions for this shoot written inside then headed down to the studio. Kai and Sehun were already in tracksuits, Sehun’s zipped up to his chin and Kai with his jacket wrapped around his waist only wearing a wife beater. The third was supposed to have their jacket unzipped and sleeves rolled up.

 

The photographer, Chanyeol, tripped over to Tao. “Please tell me you have someone for the third.”

 

“They’re coming up right now,” Tao said and waved his binder in the air to get attention.

 

“Who’d you get?” Luhan asked moving away from his spot hovering next to Kai at the makeup desk.

 

“Yixing.”

 

“You found him?”

 

“Apparently, he found us,” Tao said. “Places. Do those to together first.”

 

Tao made his way over to the break room and leaned against the counter and flipped through his binder. Luhan came in and bumped his hip against Tao’s.

 

“Yixing’s here, he’s getting changed and make up. It seems the cut his hair and it looks lighter.”

 

“Cut his hair?” Tao closed his binder and went out again. Yixing was slipping his jacket on, looking around confused. Based on hair alone, Tao wouldn’t have recognized him with the side swept bangs and shaved sides and lighter chestnut color. “You cut your hair?”

 

Yixing looked up surprised. “Um…no not exactly.”

 

Tao rolled his eyes. “Obviously you did.” He grabbed Yixing’s arm and led him to where Kai and Sehun were. “You’re modeling for me, just do the same as last time, understand?”

 

Yixing nodded and Tao stepped back to watch as the cameras started flashing.

 

Tao was in awe again. He really hadn’t seen anyone like Yixing, but there was something different this time. That innocence was gone, replaced by a hardness that was needed when wanting to go big in modeling. Tao’s brain whirled with thoughts and calculations – how would a v-neck look, how about in lime green, no a blush, with a branch pattern inlaid in the material. How would a sports coat, breast length in off white look with buttons in silver shaped like hexagons? Images were making their way across his vision as he stared at Yixing, Kai, and Sehun. Next to Yixing, he could see designs for them, too.

 

Tao was inspired.

 

And he wasn’t stubborn enough to let a muse slip through his fingers even if it was a muse he didn’t want.

 

When the shoot was over, after four changes of outfits and a variety of different positions, Tao grabbed Yixing’s arm.

 

“Z-Zitao…I….Can we talk?” Yixing asked.

 

Tao looked around. Sehun and Kai were both talking with Luhan, Kai holding his manager daringly around the waist. Luhan had a thin waist. He could see ruffles like that of a tutu going just below where his penis hung in his pants and a branch inlaid top. He wasn’t sure about sleeves; Luhan’s arms weren’t all that feminine.

 

“No, no talking, I need to work.” He pulled Yixing with him.

 

“Why am I coming with you? I have to go back to the apartment.”

 

“The apartment’s locked and you gave me my keys back, remember, hid them under the doormat.”

 

Yixing hung his head and didn’t speak for the rest of the trip up to Tao’s office. Tao pulled him inside and grabbed his comfortable desk chair then pushed Yixing down into it. “Stay there, just stay and down talk.”

 

“Why?” Yixing asked.

 

Tao pulled out a new pencil and sharpened up. “You’re going to be my muse.”

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            Kai was a horrible boyfriend, or at least he knew how to take advantage of older men. Luhan was a week away from his pay check and had only five dollars in his wallet. Kai had bought everything for Luhan on their date Saturday, but he had insisted Luhan buy him lunch at an expensive sandwich place down the street that was close to a vendor selling little glass bobbles. Luhan hadn’t been able to withstand the grin Kai gave him, so big and boyish, pointing at one of a chicken leg he found absolutely hilarious. What was so great about a glass chicken leg, Luhan didn’t know, but he handed over the thirty-five dollars anyways and received a kiss that was filled with one tongue too many. He had followed Kai back to _Ace’s_ in a daze ignoring the vulgarities the vendor had shot after them having seen the PDA.

 

It wasn’t that Luhan was poor. He had an above average salary that allowed him to stay in his apartment without a roommate and occasionally splurge, but that was because he only did so on occasion, something he had had to teach himself when he first came to American and after he started dating Sehun. He had everything calculated out into different piles, this much to the bank for emergencies, this much for the cruise to Mexico he wanted to take on his first anniversary with a boyfriend (something he started after Sehun, he hadn’t had a boyfriend that lasted that long since him), and then the money he put away just because he didn’t know what he wanted to spend it on yet. Usually he ended up spending that at the clubs Tao dragged him to.

 

Luhan sipped his coffee and stared across the street at _Ace’s_. He was on coffee break and he wanted something filled with diabetes instead of the too strong, but at least it works stuff that was in the break room of the photo studio. Kai had already left to another schedule. Usually he would go along, but apparently it was a personal schedule. It worried Luhan, ‘personal schedule’. What if that meant Kai was cheating on him. It was exactly like Kai had said they were set in stone. They didn’t make love, they made like. What kind of like did Kai even mean? But then he had kissed Luhan in front of that vendor and held Luhan’s waist so many times during the shoot, just casual touching. If Kai wasn’t going to take it seriously, he should at least wait a month before telling Luhan because if he was out cheating right now, Luhan would probably have a mental breakdown and refuse to see his face again.

 

Personal schedule.

 

What the fuck did that mean?

 

Luhan pulled his straw out of the tall tower of whip cream on the top of his drink and pushed it into his mouth, pulling it out clean of the cream. Then, he started stabbing the pile into his cold frappe’.

 

“At first I thought you were trying to seduce me, but then you started to stab it. I worry for your future lover, Luhan.”

 

Luhan looked up then frowned seeing Baekhyun standing there. He wanted to say he _has_ a lover, but he wasn’t quite sure what to call Kai other than the person he was in a semi-romantic and semi-sexual relationship with. “What do you want?”

 

Baekhyun moved into the seat across Luhan blocking the elder’s view of the store. He put a brown paper back down on the table and smiled at Luhan. “I actually came to drop off Tao’s glasses; he left them at my apartment. They’re broken, he tends to leave broken things were they were broken.”

 

Yeah, Luhan knew that. “What do you want talking to me?”

 

Baekhyun made a face. “What, we can’t be friends? Just because you’re a virgin and I’m very much not, that means we can’t associate?”

 

Luhan flushed. “I’m not a virgin, and most guys aren’t. I just wanted to know why you are _here_.”

 

“Oh, someone finally fucked you? Tao didn’t tell me that. I saw you when I was passing by. I figured I could just drop the bag off with you instead of having to go inside.”

 

Luhan reached across the table and took the bag. “Good idea, Tao’s currently working. He found himself a pretty good muse.” He smiled to himself remembering walking by and seeing Lay sitting at Tao’s desk and Tao occasionally looking behind him and taking in good long glances of the unicorn man before going back to drawing.

 

“I see,” Baekhyun said then got up and went to the counter.

 

Luhan sighed and started to sip his coffee. He took advantage of Baekhyun’s vacancy to look out the window again only to cough. “Who wears that shade of green for a waist coats?”

 

“Green waist coat?” Baekhyun asked coming back and sitting down across from Luhan. He turned and looked around just as the man walked past again. Baekhyun leaned closer to the window then laughed. “It’s the ring leader.”

 

“Ring leader?”

 

 Baekhyun turned back around and sipped his latte. “Yeah, from the circus Tao and I went to a couple weeks ago, the one that burned down. The ringer leader wore green and he was hot. This guy looks exactly like him.”

 

Luhan peeked out at the man. He looked into the coffee shop window then quickly looked away. Luhan frowned. “What’s he doing around here?”

 

“Who knows, maybe he’s out of a job. Poor guy, maybe I should take him home and he could be my charity case. I heard Tao had one. I saw him around here the other day, too, when I came for my shoot.”

 

Luhan didn’t say anything. He concentrated on stabbing the whip cream into his drink. Why was the ring leader here?


	13. “…but maybe you could shorten it.”

**Chapter 13 “…but maybe you could shorten it.”**

 

            Tao stifled a yawn and glanced down at the corner of his computer screen. It was going on five in the morning. At around eight, he had switched spots with Yixing, allowing the unicorn man to stay in the more comfortable desk chair while he dragged his stool to his computer and started to scan and color his drawings. He had worked all night and now that he took notice of it, he could feel the wariness in his shoulders. Tao stretched his arms above his head and let one fall to his keyboard. He quickly saved his work and shut down the computer then stood.

 

Yixing was curled up in the leather chair in the corner of Tao’s office. Tao walked over to him and stared at the unicorn man. His face looked peaceful. Tao wondered what unicorns dreamed of? Were their dreams filled of sugar filled lands or patterns swirling like the projections on the walls of raves? A lock of chestnut Yixing’s chestnut bangs poked down at his eyes bringing attention to the soft curve of his lashes. Tao reached out and softly brushed it away. Yixing’s eyes fluttered then opened.

 

“Zitao?” Yixing said, voice hoarse with sleep.

 

“Get up,” Tao said. “I want to go for a walk.”

 

He headed for the elevator, not looking back to see if Yixing followed–Tao could hear the sound of Yixing’s shoes on the tile. Tao stayed quiet until they were outside of they were crossing the street to the coffee shop and ordered two Americanoes. He walked outside, one arm wrapped around his body to keep the April morning chill off while he sipped his drink held in his other. A taxi stopped at _Ace’s_ to let one of the other designers off and Tao waved it over to them then got in.

 

“Where are we going?” Yixing asked.

 

Tao leaned forward to the taxi driver. “The nearest beach, please.”

 

Yixing strapped himself in. “The beach?”

 

“The second thing to cake is the beach,” Tao said.

 

The car ride was silent. Tao watched the buildings shorten and lessen in density. He watched the orange and pink on the horizon take way to the indigo of the leftover night and make way for the smog covered sky blue. They got to the beach with the sun already high on the horizon casting orange on the gray water. He took his shoes off and walked into the sand, moving his toes between the glittering grains until Yixing joined him.

 

“Take off your shoes, too,” he ordered.

 

Yixing bent down and started to unlace his shoes which Tao noted were Luhan’s shoes and a little too tight. He stood back up and held them out to Tao. Tao smacked them away. “Just leave them here, they’re ugly anyways. Follow me.”

 

Tao put his hands in his pocket and walked down along the beach. The tide licked at the side of his feet every now and then, but he didn’t pay any mine. He glanced behind him to see Yixing trying to avoid the waves and waited for him to catch up. There was a bridge down farther, and Tao headed to it. It was dark and smelt of garbage and drunkards’ waste.

 

“I found you under a place like this,” Tao said. He pointed to where the garbage was. “You were lying like that, dirty and bruised. You smelt like manure, too.”

 

“I was kept in a cage next to the white horses and the elephant,” Yixing said. “I would imagine I did, they didn’t allow me proper baths.”

 

“It’s sick,” Tao said. “I can’t say it’s human cruelty because you’re not human, but you feel human enough. I’ve felt you.”

 

“In this form, I am no less human then you are.”

 

Tao chuckled. “Minus the part were you can heal yourself.”

 

“I can heal more than myself, Zitao,” Yixing said.

 

Tao sighed. “Right, you think you can heal me. Because you love me. Why do you love me?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Was it love at first sight?” Tao asked.

 

“No, at first sight, I thought you were death,” Yixing said.

 

“You weren’t that badly hurt, were you?” Tao asked. Perhaps it had been worse before Tao had gotten to Yixing.

 

“No, I can’t die from swallowing smoke and a few bruises. I can’t even die from exhaustion.”

 

“What can you die from?”

 

Yixing lowered his head. “I die if I kill something or someone not in self defense, I die if I’m fatally wounded and there’s no time to heal, I die…if my immortality is taken away.”

 

Tao laughed. “You’re immortal?”

 

Yixing looked up. There was something dark in his eyes and it scared Tao. “I am immortal as long as I am pure.”

 

Tao wrapped both his arms around himself. Flashes of the time in the shower moved through his body. He could feel the other’s heat still. He flashed a glare at Yixing. “Are you saying I took your immortality?”

 

“I gave it to you. It was my wager.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“I came to the club to tell you.”

 

“No, before!”

 

“Would you have stopped?” Yixing looked at him, face straight and truthful. Tao let go of himself.

 

“No, I would have laughed and continued. Do you want something in exchange for it?” He felt bitter; he wanted to believe that Yixing was a unicorn even less. You couldn’t take someone’s life just by having sex with them…but maybe you could shorten it.

 

“Tell me why you’re sad,” Yixing said. “I can at least try to help you even if you don’t end up returning my feelings. All I want to do is help you.”

 

Tao walked past Yixing and moved away from the shore finding a warm spot on the sand to sit. He brushed the spot beside him and looked up at Yixing telling him to sit with his eyes. He waited for the other to get comfortable before he began.

 

“Count yourself lucky, I’ve only told Luhan this and the other person involved. I’ve always been really poor. The moment my mom could get up from her bed after having me, she went to work eventually picking back up a double shift so she wasn’t around much. My father worked on a fishing boat, so he was gone for long often not coming home for a few days. He had a younger sister, very young and very pretty, and she was in charge of taking care of me. I only remember she talked a lot about the girls from her high school days and how they always dressed so nice, and she could draw well. She was raped one day, and then killed and all I could do was stay locked in a closet. I was really too young to know what happened. I didn’t know until I was a teenager, but my father got a raise and used the extra money to have me practice martial arts. I was pretty good at it.”

 

“A few years passed and my parents were finally able to move to a slightly better place, but my mom often got sick from work so we spent a lot on medicine. She refused not to go, so it wasn’t like we had a lot. Most of the extra money we had went into savings for my future. My mom wanted me to be a businessman; my dad thought maybe I could become a stunt man in movies or someone like Jackie Chan. I meant a twelve year old boy who just moved into our new neighborhood as well. He could speak English and Cantonese along with Mandarin. We became friends. I became his little brother. Wu Yifan was his name and his mother was divorced. She gave all the money she got from his father to Yifan and half of it he would save and the other half we would use to play with. And I fell in love with him.”

 

“Did he love you back?” Yixing asked.

 

“He loved me as a brother. We had the same dream, you see. I wanted to design clothing. My aunt’s conversations stuck with me. Yifan wanted to be a businessman. He wanted to be a name renowned everywhere. I asked him if it was because he wanted to honor his mother or because of bitter feelings for his father who left them, but he said no, he just wanted to be a businessman. We had plans, we made so many plans.” Tao drew in the sand; little hearts like he use to when he thought Kris wasn’t looking those days back in China. “He studied hard and started college. With a little help from his father, he was able to buy over a company in America that had started, but was starting to fail. He really was something, still is.”

 

A head lay on Tao’s shoulder and he turned to see Yixing staring over the water of the beach. Runners were starting to make their way across the glittering sand.

 

“What broke you, Tao?”

 

Tao studied the lines of Yixing’s face, ever sharp, but soft feature. He really couldn’t imagine what it was like to beat the victim of abuse, he only knew how to protect and abuse. “Yifan went away for a year, his junior year of college, and when he came back, I had gotten in a fight with my dad about wanting to be a designer. He thought it was girly, he thought I was gay, which I am, but I hadn’t told anyone but Yifan that. He hit me and then I told him it was because of his sister I wanted to be a designer. ‘You’ll get raped and killed just like her.’ That’s what he said to me. Up until then I thought a thief had scared her to death. Really childish, right? I started to remember the screams I had heard hiding in the closet and I ran out. I found Yifan and kissed him and begged him to take me away with him. We didn’t go anywhere for a few months, but I managed to convince him to date me and my father apologized for hitting me and agreed that I could be a ‘businessman’. Lots of men were designers after all. I cracked that night with a nightmare of my aunt and I broke three months later when Yifan took me to the country for summer vacation. It rained, we ran into a stable a friend of his grandparents owned, it was ridiculously romantic, the setting was and I was too excited to know how much he regretted it.”

 

“He left you?” Yixing asked.

 

“No, he’s too beautiful of a person to do that. We went on for three more months, had sex only one more time at the very end and then he apologized. I was his little brother, the boy he wanted to help succeed. He was mostly MIA until my high school graduation and he came begging on his knees for me to come with him to America. He had a business, he could make me head designer after I went through fashion school.”

 

“Does he regret breaking up with you?” Yixing asked. “You’re pretty successful now.”

 

“No, he regrets taking my virginity everyday. He’s found the love of his life. Kris is getting married.” Tao stood and dusted his but of sand.

 

“Yifan’s your boss?” Yixing asked standing up as well.   

 

“He’s done a lot for me and then had one mistake. I like to take advantage of his mistake, but I can’t do that for much longer.” He turned to Yixing and reached a hand out, cupping his face. Yixing blinked and stared at Tao. “When I saw you, dirtied and when you walked out of that shower, I thought you were a beautiful person just like he is, inside and out. Yifan use to be my muse, but he’s getting married. So, you’ll be my muse, understand? That is how you can help me. I don’t want to be fixed, but I _need_ help with this one thing. I want to be head designer at _Ace’s_.”

 

Yixing stared at him before moving his hand and grabbed Tao’s wrist. He pulled Tao’s hand away from his face and put it on his chest. “I’ll help you, Zitao.”

 

Zitao. Said so softly and with so much concern. He had never heard his own mother say his name like that, but all those years ago when Tao was still innocent and naïve, his aunt had called him like that many many times.

 

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            When the sun had gotten high, Tao led Yixing to his favorite shopping street. They went to a shoe store first and the workers almost wouldn’t let Yixing in because of the lack of shoes since Tao had made him leave Luhan’s ugly ones at the beach. Tao had argued with them “He doesn’t have shoes because I’m buying him shoes; this is a shoe store right”, and then he waved his card and they let him through. He bought Yixing three pairs and a pair for Luhan to make up for the ones he’d left behind. They went to the clothing section next and Tao sat outside the round mirrors next to the changing rooms scrolling through his phone as he waited for Yixing to come out, a tailor sitting to the side.

 

“Zitao,” Yixing called.

 

Tao looked up from his phone and gestured for Yixing to come out. Jeans and a fun, but casual shirt. He nodded at his choice and waved for the tailor to take measurements and notes.

 

When the tailor had left to prepare pick a mock suit to fit on Yixing, the unicorn man turned away from the mirror and looked at Tao.

 

“Why are you buying me clothes?”

 

Tao stood and walked around Yixing. “You have to look the part.”

 

“The part of what?”

 

Tao reached out and felt the fabric of Yixing’s shirt. It was thin and loose and if he tugged it he got a glimpse of the deep valleys of Yixing’s collarbone. “You’re going to be my model.”

 

“I don’t want to be a model,” Yixing said.

 

Tao caught fear in his eyes and sighed. “You said you were mortal now. As long as your necklace isn’t taken off, you can be whatever you want to be. And you’re going to be my model. I’ll manage you as well as design my own clothes.”

 

“Why would you do that?” Yixing asked.

 

Tao lifted the hem of the shirt up and looked at the placement of the pants on Yixing’s hips. He closed his eyes for a second to keep himself in check. He was looking for artistic reasons, nothing more. “Because I need you by my side. You’re my muse.”

 

And maybe because he felt a little guilty. And not the kind of guilt he liked.

 

The tailor came back and ushered Yixing into the changing room again to get him into a dress shirt and pants. Tao went over to the tie selection letting his fingers graze against each color and material, the silks and cottons. He picked up a cream colored one; something he thought wouldn’t look good on many and waited for Yixing to come out.

 

They had put him in all black. Yixing stood on the pedestal in front of the 360 mirror. Tao stepped up beside him and pressed the cream colored tie to Yixing’s face, along the sharp line of his chin. He looked up, Yixing’s eyes meeting his. Tao had never had a pet, but he assumed this was the expression they gave you when they first understood what it meant to have an owner – be by your side, do everything you asked, and love you unconditionally even if they hurt you. It left a bad taste in Tao’s mouth and maybe that was why he had never had a pet.

 

Tao handed the tie to the tailor.

 

“I want the shirt in white and the tux in coffee, almost black. I want the lining sky blue. I like this cut.” He turned away from Yixing and waved for him to go back and change then handed his credit card over to the tailor to get the purchase through before Yixing came back out.

 

“Why did I need a suit?” Yixing asked as they walked to another store.

 

“Models need at least one good suit to wear.”

 

“Are we going back to the apartment now?”

 

Tao stirred them toward a store filled with brightly colored clothing. “No, next are club clothes. You’ll need those, too. After that we’re going back to _Ace’s_ , I’m at work.”

 

“But we’re out shopping,” Yixing protested.

 

“You’re part of my work, buying you clothes is the same as working.” At least that’s what he would tell Kris or Luhan if they asked were he had been and why he was carrying shopping back. He held up tight jeans to Yixing’s waist. “Do you not like shopping?”

 

Yixing stood still as Tao went about picking him clothes. “I like shopping, but unicorns don’t really carry money.”

 

Tao reached up and touched Yixing’s face, a smirk on his lips. “Be my muse and you will be the riches unicorn since the last unicorn impregnated a princess.”

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

 

            Once back at _Ace’s_ , Tao dropped the bags off in his office and took Yixing down to sewing to get his sizes registered in their books next to Kai’s and Sehun’s. He sat in a corner with his sketchbook out, doodling as he watched women in their thirties and forties take tape measures to his body. He would unconsciously move ever now and then and the ladies would yell out his name except they didn’t say it right. Tao cocked his head in thought.

 

“Yixing, you need a model name.”

 

“What’s a model name,” Yixing asked.

 

“Like Kai, his real name is Jongin. It’s easier for Americans to say Kai,” Tao explained.

 

Yixing looked thoughtful. “I have another name.”

 

“What is it?” Tao asked.

 

“It’s what I went by at the circus – Lay.”

 

“Lay,” Tao repeated the word then nodded. “You’ll be promoted as Lay.”

 

The ladies went away, seeming satisfied by their work. Yixing turned and rubbed his arms trying to get feeling back in them from having to hold them out for so long. “Won’t the circus be able to find me easier like that?”

 

Tao stood. “They can’t kidnap a famous person; they’d be trampled before they could even get to the sea.”

 

Yixing nodded and Tao’s eyes caught the glint of the gold chain Yixing wore hidden under his shirt. He reached out and pulled it from beneath, finger the cheap links. “Does it have to be gold?”

 

“What, the bridle? Yes, it has to be gold.”

 

Tao handed Yixing his sketchbook. “Go up to my office, I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

 

 He waited until Yixing had left before going to storage to look for the pieces that had been in the jewelry shoot last time. He found them still spread out with inventory tags stuck to them. There was a small collection of necklaces and he found the one he had designed – thin white chain with a hexagon at the end all made of white gold. He picked it up and tapped one of the inventory people on the back. They turned from writing on their sketch board.

 

“Oh, Mr. Huang, how can I help you,” the inventory man asked.

 

Tao held up the necklace. “I’m taking this; please take it out of the magazine it was to go into. You know who to talk to about that.”

 

The inventory man nodded and flipped through his papers making note. “Is this Mr. Kris’ orders?”

 

“I’m the designer; I had a change of heart with this one. Kris will agree,” Tao said then walked away.

 

Yixing was sat in the leather computer chair that was still in the corner from this morning, all curled up. Tao shut and locked the door before turning to the unicorn man.

 

“Stand,” Tao commanded.

 

Yixing unfurled himself like a flower. He stretched his arms above his head and placed a foot on the ground and took long graceful steps toward Tao. He would look beautiful on the catwalk.

 

“What is it?” Yixing asked.

 

Tao reached out and grabbed the gold chain again. “Step back.”

 

Yixing looked from Tao to the chain and back. There was fear in Yixing’s eyes. Tao yanked the chain.

 

“Step back, Yixing.”

 

Finally, he did as he was told, head dipping down to give an easy path for the chain to slide off. He stood as a man in front of Tao for only a few seconds before the swirling happened and the white horse now with shorter chestnut hair and that marvelous swirling horn stood before Tao. Tao pulled out the white gold necklace from his pocket and unclipped it. He approached the unicorn and it took a step closer allowing Tao to clasp the almost too small necklace around his neck. Tao’s hands moved away from the necklace to hold onto Yixing’s muscular neck, feeling the soft fur as it shifted to softer skin.

 

“I’m your Master now, Yixing.”


	14. “…, then she should pull her kid out now.”

**Chapter 14 “…, then she should pull her kid out now.”**

 

            It was an exchange. It hadn’t taken long for Tao to convince Kris Yixing would make a good prospect for their company. All he had to do was show Kris his mock portfolio. Since Sehun was leaving and probably wouldn’t be back, it seemed like luck to have a fresh face to take his place. Or maybe Kris could just tell Yixing was someone Tao needed. The best way of getting him around and also to prepare for Tao’s show was to let another company barrow him. Usually it was Luhan that went with the models to other companies, but Tao would only allow half power to go to his roommate when it came to the model now known as Lay. Tao had insisted on being manager for now. He wasn’t sure why, but Luhan’s minimal protest told him maybe he had the same feeling. Yixing needed to stay close.

 

The theme was back to school which Tao still found odd having the start of school in summer and the shoot in spring or winter. There were two girls in the shoot, one white and one Asian, and another guy, a black buy who looked no older than sixteen. It was as shoot that catered to both students and teachers. There weren’t uniforms. The uniforms Tao usually saw kids wear around New York made him feel better about the one he wore in China. Yixing and the American girl posed as teachers with suits and long sleeved dress shirts, the girl with dresses, a nice classy back drop always behind them. Tao didn’t even pay attention to the ‘kid’s’ shoot. They tried to make it classy, but the bright colored clothes the ‘kids’ wore didn’t match the teacher’s backdrops. And Kai looked out of place. He could do boyish, Tao had seen it in his portfolio with Luhan, but the dark back drops brought out that sexy side that sold Calvin Klein jeans and _Ace’s_ clothes.

 

When the first half of the shoot was over, Kai stomped off the set and straight to where Tao and Luhan were over looking them. He stared at Luhan standing straight in front of him and his boyfriend/manager lifted a hand to move some of his bangs out of the way in a comforting way. It made Tao a little sick, but he put up with Luhan being all lovey dovey and happy because he was Luhan.

 

“I can’t stand them,” Kai finally said seeming calmed down.

 

“You don’t usually stomp away from a shoot,” Luhan said frowning. “What’s wrong with them?”

 

Kai waved a hand back. “Everything’s wrong. Am I supposed to be sexy? Am I supposed to be boyish? If they want sexy teenager, I can do sexy teenager, but not with those other two.”

 

Tao peaked at the other models. They were actual teenagers and Kai was a 22 year old who, thought still fresh to modeling, knew how to perform. He had been a dancer before according to his portfolio and Tao had looked at some videos of him with Luhan a few nights before when his roommate had come home giggling and started to search on YouTube. They even had their parents here, glammed out in suburban rich clothes and soccer mom cell phones. He shook his head at them.

 

“They’re not professional. Wasn’t this shoot set up a month ago? Sehun was supposed to find a friend to replace him. It looks like we just reminded them of it,” Tao said.

 

Luhan sighed. “We haven’t done business with these guys before. I doubt more than one of these pictures will make it to their catalog better yet, to a magazine.”

 

“It’ll probably be Yixing’s. The woman he’s working with is at least half way decent,” Tao said.

 

“I should have been the teacher,” Kai said.

 

“Yeah, and make all the girls cream themselves. You look to young to be a teachers, it wouldn’t have worked,” Luhan said and pecked Kai’s cheek. Tao caught one of the mothers glancing their way at that moment and grinned when she made a face.

 

“Why is she so disgusted?” Kai asked seeming to have seen her, too. “There are tons of homosexuals in the fashion industry. If she doesn’t want to be around it, then she should just pull her kid out now.”

 

“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Tao said and looked around. “Where’s Yixing now?”

 

“He’s getting ready for the next round,” Luhan said.

 

“Hey, is Lay your lover?” Kai asked Tao.

 

“No,” Tao responded and pulled out his phone to check his messages. One was from Kris to see how the shoot was going. He’d answer later.

 

“Good. I thought if he was, he might try to use that to get ahead of me,” Kai said and grinned.

 

“Kai, Yixing…Lay, isn’t your competition. You work together.”

 

Tao reached up and ruffled Kai’s hair. “You don’t have to worry about him outshining you in most things. He’s _my_ model, so he’s on a very tight leash. The other designers get to have you.”

 

Tao walked away from them and went in search of Yixing. He found the unicorn man sitting in front of the makeup stand staring into the mirror blankly. Tao took a seat beside him and Yixing didn’t even flinch.

 

“You know, you don’t have to just sit in a corner until someone tells you to do something.”

 

“I’m use to it,” Yixing responded.

 

Tao frowned. “You have to talk to people. You’re mortal now; you can’t just let time pass by like this.”

 

“You’re right,” Yixing said. “When you’re a unicorn, when you’re immortal, you don’t have anything to do. We have to hide, we can’t get too close, and so we wander the places that are still isolated. What should I talk to people about?”

 

“Anything that sounds realistic,” Tao replied. “Just talk enough so they think you’re not a robot or rude.”

 

 Yixing stood. “Alright, then I will go talk to that model there.” His head indicated the direction of the American woman.

 

Tao looked her over, bored face, typing away at her phone. She was probably the least used model for their company, beautiful, but just not something that sold a lot.

 

“No, you can talk to Luhan and Kai. You can talk to me. I’ll tell you who and when to talk with other people.”

 

“You’re monopolizing me,” Yixing said. He didn’t seem angry about it, just made a point.

 

“Yeah, but you don’t hate it.”

 

The unicorn man nodded and walked back to the shoot.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            Tao sat in the coffee shop flipping through a mock portfolio and waiting for Yixing to get out of another fitting. He had to make up stories about Yixing, a background like Kai and Sehun had. Lay needed to be interesting, but not too interesting. It had been a week since he officially made Yixing part of _Ace’s_ model line. Soon other companies would be setting up meetings with Kris and his secretaries in order to get Yixing to participate in their fashion shows and shoots. Of course, Yixing had a short leash, only long enough to keep a save foot between them if Tao pulled on it. Tao made sure the necklace was never off Yixing. It was under Lay’s contract that he had to wear it. Stuff like that could always be photoshopped out. Why? Tao was thinking of making it something his dead mother or grandmother gave him. He wasn’t even sure if Yixing had a mother or grandmother or how old they might be.

 

There were still a good thirty minutes to an hour before Yixing would be let out, but Tao figured he had done enough work these past few days to go back to his habit of running over to the coffee shop and sit doing nothing. The merchant down the street at the corner wasn’t there anymore. There was a policeman instead and Tao laughed a bit to himself. He wished he could have seen him get run off over selling fake brand name products. He wondered how long until the police left and the man came back. How long until Tao had to worry about vendors like that knocking off his designs?

 

Kris had said as soon as Tao finished his portfolio he would get the sewing team on making them, shut other projects that weren’t immediate down so Tao could have his show in the beginning of June. Tao pulled out his cellphone. Sometime in the past week, it had become May.

 

Fairly, Tao shouldn’t have his show until at least August. That would give the other two designers vying for his position time to prepare as well. But, if Kris waited until they had had a show to compete with Tao, then he would be in a disadvantage. Kris was trying to give Tao his position he had been promised without having to judge it fairly. Tao sighed. He would have liked a fair fight, but Kris wasn’t one to give him the position if his show looked like crap.

 

Unicorns. Tao really needed to find a different way to describe the theme of his show.

 

“What in the world is this!”

 

Tao jumped when a magazine was slammed onto his table in the corner by the front windows of the coffee shop. He looked up to see Baekhyun glaring down at him. He was wearing three different necklaces on his neck and each finger of his hand was filled by a ring. His jacket was slightly unzipped revealing his collarbone and the possibility of no shit underneath. He wore sweatpants. It wasn’t the way Tao was use to seeing his friend.

 

“Did you just come from a shoot?”

 

“Your company gave me a call back. I’m on break right now.”

 

Tao nodded and shut his mock portfolio. “And what is it that I’m supposed to tell you what it is?”

 

“This, what is this?” Baekhyun said and pointed down to the magazine.

 

“A magazine,” Tao replied.

 

Baekhyun groaned and took the seat opposite Tao. He grabbed the magazine and showed Tao the front cover where Yixing and Tao posed together from the first shoot Tao had dragged Yixing into. Tao grabbed the magazine and flipped through it.

 

“Oh, they already finished next month’s issue? This one’s good.” He laid the magazine out to a two sheet picture of Yixing and Kai shown standing back to back. They both had hard blazing looks in their eyes, but while Kai’s was sinful and full of promises, Yixing’s was strong and innocent. Yixing had his long hair still.

 

“Yes it’s good, but who is this?” Baekhyun said and pointed to Yixing. “I’ve never seen this gorgeous man.”

 

“He’s the guy living with Luhan and me,” Tao explained. “Haven’t you seen him?”

 

“I think I saw him once, but he looks different here.” Baekhyun said. “How come I haven’t met this gorgeous man?”

 

Tao rolled his eyes. “You’re not allowed to sleep with him, Baekhyun.”

 

Baekhyun grinned at Tao. “Why, is he yours?”

 

“Yes he’s mine,” Tao said and glared at Baekhyun. “He’s my model. I found him, I’m making him rich.”

 

“Making him rich?”

 

“He’s going to be exclusive to me,” Tao said. “He’s my model.”

 

Baekhyun leaned back in his seat and crossed his legs. “Have you slept with him?”

 

Tao slipped the magazine under the portfolio. “I took his virginity.”

 

Baekhyun whistled. “Can I have his name at least since the rest of him is off limits?”

 

“He’ll be known as Lay.”

 

“Lay~~~~,” Baekhyun said letting the name roll off his tongue.

 

The bell of the coffee shop dinged and Tao caught sight of green. He turned his head to see a man dressed in a green dress coat and dark green pants. He looked closer and slowly slid the magazine and portfolio onto the window seal. The man took a seat a few tables away from them.

 

Baekhyun leaned across the table. “Hey, isn’t that guy the ring leader? I saw him the other day with Luhan.”

 

“You talked with Luhan?” Tao asked eyeing the ring leader, Yixing’s old master.

 

“You left something at my apartment, I gave it to him. But, isn’t that him?”

 

“Yeah,” Tao said.

 

The man stood and headed over to them, a bashful smile on his lips. “Hello, um, I’m looking for someone.”

 

Tao felt a shiver run up his back.

 

“Um, he has chestnut hair, a little taller than me, a long face, Chinese. Does it ring a bell?”

 

Baekhyun laughed. “There aren’t many Asians here, but you just described about half of them.” He leaned forward flashing the ringleader a flirtatious smile. “Are you sure the man you are looking for isn’t me? I could always dye my hair.”

 

The ring leader stepped back, more nervousness showing. “Um, no…you’re Korean; I’m looking for a Chinese guy.”

 

Baekhyun looked at Tao. “Is he looking for you? Maybe you won something at the circus.”

 

Tao wanted to kill Baekhyun. He didn’t need this guy knowing they had been there.

 

The ring leader’s eyes lit up. “Oh, it’s unfortunate what happened to our circus. Perhaps you managed to see who I’m looking for. One of our workers seemed to have gotten lost after running from the fire.”

 

“No,” Tao said and stared the ring leader down. “And it would be best for you not to hang around here. Police get suspicious of loiterers. There are a lot of rich people around here who don’t like to be questioned.”

 

The man stepped back and put his hands inside the pockets of his greet coat. He bowed to them. “Sorry for disturbing you.” Then, turned and left.

 

“Why’d you run him off?” Baekhyun whined.

 

Tao stood and gathered his portfolio, stuffing the magazine inside it. “Because that circus was shit and I would have run away, too.”

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            “I thought we were meeting at the coffee shop.”

 

Tao looked up from the magazine he had been reading to see Yixing standing in front of him. He had come to the sewing floor after picking one up from the lobby and sat outside the elevators like he use to when he wasn’t allowed to go home alone and he had to wait for his mother to get out of work. It was last month’s issue and Minseok had an article in it about food and fashion. It was actually interesting. He waved the magazine at Yixing.

 

“We were, but I got bored. This is a good article, you should read it when you get bored of sitting in chairs having old ladies pick needles into you,” Tao said and stood.

 

Yixing nodded. “Then where are we going to talk.”

 

Tao rolled up the magazine so it fit into his pant pocket and turned. He pressed the up button on the elevator and waited for it to come down. “We can go up to my office.”

 

“What did we have to talk about?” Yixing asked.

 

The elevator dinged its arrival and Tao walked on first. “Your portfolio.”

 

“I don’t have a portfolio.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

The doors closed and Tao took the magazine out to finish reading the article until they got to his floor. He led the way to his office, stopping to trace the gold Chinese letter before opening it. He threw the magazine down on his desk and took the large leather chair at his computer leaving the stool for Yixing.

 

“Oh, I have to congratulate you,” Tao said and turned to his file cabinet to retrieve the magazine and portfolio he had brought up after leaving the coffee shop. He slid the magazine toward Yixing and flipped to the picture of him and Kai back to back. “ _Ace’s_ next issue just came out, seems you got shots in it. They’re good.”

 

Yixing flipped through the pages, head tilted. Tao narrowed his eyes at him.

 

“Are you embarrassed? You shouldn’t be, you’re a model now. Well, you will be once we finish your portfolio.” Tao flipped it opened and scratched out a few questions that Lay wouldn’t need.

 

Yixing put the magazine back on Tao’s desk. “I suppose, I’m just not use to seeing myself like that. What do you need in a portfolio?”

 

“First off, your full name.” Tao clicked a pen.

 

“Zhang Yixing,” Yixing said.

 

“Yixing Zhang,” Tao repeated writing the name in the American format. “And your model name is Lay. Date of birth?”

 

“October 7, 193—“

 

“I’ll put a birth date that would make sense later,” Tao said. “Where were you born?”

 

“China, in the woods,” Yixing answered.

 

“Which woods?”

 

“Hunan somewhere. I don’t know if it’s still there.”

 

Tao sighed. “Alright, I’ll think of a specific place later. I’ll also have to get you a social security number and some other legal stuff.”

 

“I have those. M…the ring leader got them for me,” Yixing said. “I never used them, but I have them.”

 

“Alright, bring them to me and I’ll double check some of these,” Tao said. “We’ll skip to the personal stuff. Favorite color?”

 

“Don’t have one.”

 

“Favorite things to do?”

 

“Shop, cook, snack,” Yixing said.

 

“And helping,” Tao said amused jotting them down.

 

“I only help people I like,” Yixing corrected.

 

Tao tapped his pen. “Right…why do you want to be a model?”

 

“Because you told me to,” Yixing answered.

 

Tao studied him to see if he was being a smartass, but Yixing’s face was blank.

 

“Make it up. Why does ‘Lay’ want to be a model?”

 

Yixing cocked his head and stared at Tao’s face. A smile broke out, that dimple sinking in and pulling Tao with it. “To make _someone’s_ designs come true.”

 

Before Tao could control it, he returned the smile. “Really, you’re still in love with me, aren’t you?”

 

“Of course, was I not being obvious about it?”

 

Tao shook his head and put his pen down. “I just thought…maybe you would feel bitter toward me after what I did.”

 

“I gave you my virginity,” Yixing said. “Just because we weren’t making love doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it, too. The person I love was touching me because they needed me; I’m not going to ask for more.”

 

Tao’s chest tightened. “Do you enjoy making me feel guilty?”

 

“I don’t mean to, I’m trying to reassure you.”

 

It just made him feel even guiltier. “Why did you disappear for so many days then? And my keys, what was that about?”

 

Yixing lifted a hand to his hair. “I was scared because of my hair. Unicorns usually have a particular color or length and it changes when we have sex. Mine was darker and longer, now it’s lighter and shorter. It’ll start growing again, just not as fast and it won’t go back to that color. I thought about not telling you, but that wouldn’t be fair, so I went to the party, but you seemed angry so I thought it was best to stay away for a few days.”

 

“So you were hiding?” Tao asked.

 

“I thought maybe you’d forget what my hair looked like.”

 

“It was obvious,” Tao said and started clicking his pen over and over again. Yixing had been scared he’d been mad. He probably would have if Yixing had told him that night.

 

“I’m sorry, Master.”

 

“It’s okay…Master?” Tao looked up. Yixing had his head bent so low Tao couldn’t see his face. “Why did you call me Master?”

 

“You switched the bridle, so you’re my master now. Men are called Master unless they have a better title. Women were mistress, my lady, or whatever their title was.”

 

Tao laughed. “So you have to call me Master now?”

 

Yixing nodded his bent head. “Unless you have something else you would like for me to call you.”

 

“Zitao.” The name left his lips before he had really thought about what he was saying. He furrowed his brows and repeated it. “Zitao, just call me Zitao like you have been.”

 

Yixing lifted his head and met Tao’s eyes with warm calm brown ones. “Zitao. Master Zitao.”

 

Tao grinned. He could live with someone calling him like that again, softly, sweetly, with love. “I don’t really mind the Master part, but only when others aren’t around.”

 

 


	15. “…and a few flowered here and there…”

**Chapter 15 “…and a few flowered here and there…”**

 

            The seamstresses seemed to favor. They constantly chattered to him, complimenting how still he stood for them and how well his body held the fabric as they pinned it on. Tao stood behind them watching, making sure the less experienced ones didn’t poke Yixing’s white skin with the pin needles. After a while, they left, leaving Yixing wrapped and pinned in cheap tan cotton fabric.

 

“So…what are they doing again?” Yixing asked.

 

Tao reached out and adjusted one of the pins. “They’re making a mock up of one of the outfits you’ll be wearing for my fashion show.”

 

“What does that mean?”

 

Tao adjusted another pin. “It means they are using cheap material to make a prototype of the actual product that you’ll be walking down the catwalk in. We have to make sure it looks right before we actually put you in it. Also, I get to see which material will suit it the way I want. I’m thinking something a little lighter and clingier for this.”

 

“What exactly am I wearing right now?”

 

“Scraps,” Tao answered. He pinched a seam and frowned. “I am definitely not going to use tan either.”

 

“What is it going to be when it’s done?” Yixing asked.

 

Tao moved over to a chair where his bag was and dug around then pulled out a binder. He flipped through it, holding the binder up to Yixing. “This one.” He turned the binder around and stepped closer to his model.

 

“It’s pretty,” Tao said. “Is it a blouse?”

 

Tao turned the binder back around. “A blouse, yeah, something like that. Do you like it?” He looked up at Yixing not quite sure why he cared, but then again Yixing was his muse and it was important for his muse to approve what was being created from him.

 

“Yeah, I would buy it. I like airy things like that.”

 

“It won’t be as airy once I’ve finished it.” Tao reached out and touched Yixing’s stomach. “I want it to cling more.” His finger ran to Yixing’s collarbone. “I want it to show off this part, too, so I think I’ll take off the collar.”

 

Yixing shivered. It surprised Tao. He touched Yixing’s collar again and studied the unicorn man’s face. His eyes were closed, lashes dusting over the tops of his cheeks and his lips were slightly parted as he breathed in softly. The reaction was subdued this time. Tao took a step back.

 

“What collar do you think it should be?”

 

“White,” Yixing said. “Spring/Fall colors would be nice.”

 

Tao raised a brow. “You know about fashion?”

 

“I like shopping. Before I was caught by the circus I had come by some money and spent a lot of time shopping in California. All my clothes are gone now.”

 

Tao nodded and put his binder back. “If my show goes well, I’ll buy you a full wardrobe, not just a few outfits.”

 

“You don’t have to buy me anything,” Yixing said and adjusted a pin himself.

 

“Trust me, my show going well is worth more than a full wardrobe,” Tao said and looked at his phone.

 

“What are we doing after this?” Yixing asked.

 

Tao slipped his phone back in his pocket. “I’m going to drop you off at the apartment then go to the salon.”

 

“Am I not going with you?”

 

The seamstresses were headed back. Tao grinned and reached up to ruffle Yixing’s hair. “If your hair change was a surprise then so shall mine.”

 

It was a Saturday. It was a Saturday in May and Tao’s showcase wasn’t far away. Once the seamstresses were done, he led Yixing to a cab and they road silently home. Tao watched the small trees and bushes put up on the side of the streets, their leaves turning bright greens and a few flowered here and there, petals falling onto the sidewalk below. Spring meant promise. And summer was when you were supposed to enjoy the fruits of those promises. There was a part of Tao that hoped the coming summer would be like that for him, planning more designs for _Ace’s_ , planning everything that had to do with designs. He wanted to be the head, needed it, and dreamed of it even when he told himself not to dream.

 

It was the only thing he could dream about.

 

They got out and up to the apartment in the same manner. The apartment was quiet and Tao moved to the kitchen to pull out the last of the cake Yixing had made. Since taking the unicorn man as his muse, there hadn’t been as much time for Yixing to make cake, but Tao supposed his work was more important than urging on diabetes.

 

“Where is Luhan?”

 

Tao cut the large piece in half, giving the smaller one to Yixing. “With Kai, they’re on a date. Luhan said he would be here later, but it might be best if you hung out in my room.”

 

Yixing took the cake with both hands and moved to another counter. “Why?”

 

Tao chuckled. “Well, Luhan was a version and Kai’s young. I know he’s bringing Kai over. It’ll be the first time. They are probably going to want to have sex, and they can’t do that with you in Luhan’s room.”

 

“Then let me go with you.”

 

Tao put his fork down on his empty plate. It clinked louder than he meant for it to. “No. You’ve been with me all day…all week. I want to go to the salon on my own, so just have fun in my room.” He moved past Yixing and out into the archway before he paused and turned back with a grin. “I really don’t mind if you want to masturbate to my smell or whatever, just make sure to clean the sheets. You’re still in love with me, I’m giving you time to be unprofessional.”

 

“I can be unprofessional?” Yixing asked.

 

Tao shrugged and went into the living room. He paused again when he heard quick footsteps behind him and turned. Yixing was there, a hand reaching out to grab his arm. And then he was kissing him. Tao stared down at Yixing’s fluttering eyelashes with large eyes. His lips were soft and they were quick. If he hadn’t been aware, he wouldn’t have felt the kiss at all. Yixing’s eyes opened slowly, hardness in them, but also fear. His lips started moving and Tao quickly pulled back.

 

“We have a party later tonight; don’t pull something like that there.”

 

Yixing bowed his head. “Is that why you’re going to the salon.”

 

“It gives me a reason to go to the salon. Your first party, Yixing. You’re older than me, but make sure you don’t embarrass me as you’re my charge.”

 

Yixing lowered his head more.

 

Tao licked his lips. He could taste Yixing.

 

“I’m leaving now.” He headed back to the door and closed it just as Yixing called out a farewell.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            They stumbled into the apartment in a twist of limbs and kisses. Luhan didn’t really know how this had become their way of entering any place private. Maybe it was because Kai was still so young and full of energy or it was all of Luhan’s pent up frustration from the past twenty-seven years of his life. Either way, as long as Kai was holding him, touching him, kissing him, he wasn’t with anyone else.

 

When had he become so possessive?

 

Luhan barely got his keys into the lock without dropping them with all the kisses Kai was planting on his neck. He laughed. He couldn’t help it, it was his weak spot after all, one of many his younger lover liked exploiting. The moment they were inside, Kai had him turned in his arms, mouth pressing against his with the same rhythm as their groins. And they were walking backwards. Luhan felt his ankle connect with the end of the couch and he pulled away.

 

“Not the couch,” he said breathless.

 

Kai held his waist and chuckled, the sound rumbling straight to where Kai was still rolling his hips against Luhan’s. “It’s the first time in your apartment. Give me a tour, _hyun_ g; we can start on the couch.”

 

“It’s uncomfortable.”

 

“No more than mine.” Kai started back in for a kiss.

 

Luhan turned his head so it landed on his cheek. “A lot more uncomfortable trust me on that.”

 

Kai sighed. Luhan quickly looked up at him with wide eyes. Had he annoyed Kai? Was couch sex really something he had been looking forward to? Kai’s eyes were smiling at him though. Luhan smiled back and Kai lifted a finger to push his nose making Luhan wrinkle it.

 

“You’re cute _hyung_. Should we just sit on the couch then, watch a movie?”

 

Luhan’s hands immediately went to Kai’s shirt collar and he pressed himself flush against Kai. “Don’t you dare try to be all lovey dovey right now. You got me all worked up getting in her, I want sex.”

 

Kai hummed and lifted a hand to twirl his fingers in Luhan’s hair. “You certainly are demanding. You seemed to like me being sweet to you, putting flowers in your hair on the street, stealing quick kisses behind the mannequins at the mall, holding your hand in the cab.”

 

A blush made home on Luhan’s face and he looked down. Kai had been sweet, he was sweet. Sometimes he was a ruthless sex fiend, but he was always sweet and it drove Luhan’s heart crazy. He was probably more than in love with the younger man already and it had only been a couple weeks. Sometimes he wondered if Kai was cheating on him behind his back because his past boyfriends who had been sweet only did so to get in his pants or because they liked the chase and chased multiple people at once. He wasn’t exactly the best at choosing boyfriends (Sehun had been okay), so he really couldn’t trust his heart. However, he knew Kai’s schedule and there wasn’t really much room in it for cheating because, during work, half the time he was within seeing distance of Luhan, and when they weren’t at work, they were together or getting ready to be together.

 

The sex was good. Or maybe that was just sex in general, Luhan only had Kai.

 

The hands on Luhan’s waist suddenly moved to his thighs and he wrapped his legs around Kai’s waist on reflex. He looked up at Kai who only continued to smile at him and lean in, forehead bumping against Luhan’s.

 

“Which door’s yours?” Kai asked his lips brushing against Luhan’s nose as he talked.

 

“Left,” Luhan said. He was caught staring in those dark eyes, excitement rising in his chest and it was so hard to stay steal as he clung to Kai. He wanted something to happen already.

 

Kai started walking. He pressed Luhan to the wall beside hid door and finally, finally, kissed him, first with just wet lips then opened mouth and tongue as he reached for the doorknob. Luhan heard it click between the wet smacking sounds and reached above and behind them to give the door a push so it would open. Kai’s strides were longer than Luhan expected and he let out a shout of surprise when he was thrown on the bed, scrabbling into a kneeling position at the end and looked up at the still standing Kai.

 

His face went from cute and loving, to dangerous in the split second it took for their eyes to meet. Kai grabbed the collar of his shirt and then it was gone, thrown to some random corner of their room. Kai’s hand shot out and the tips of his fingers tilted Luhan’s face up. Luhan’s eyes just went even wider as he looked at him.

 

“Sitting there like that… _hyung_ , you just look so cute, I want to eat you up,” Kais said.

 

Luhan watched his thick lips move, blinking. He smiled. “Then why don’t you, Jonginnie?”

 

Kai smirked. Luhan’s stomach did a flip and his smile fell as Kai suddenly fell to his knees. He reached out and pulled Luhan’s member out, and before Luhan could move from his kneeling position, he had taken it into his mouth. Luhan bent himself forward, hands braced on the middle of Kai’s back. He could feel Kai’s hair on his stomach, his shirt having ridden up with his up and down movements. His mouth felt good, but Luhan wasn’t sure which would give first, his orgasm or his legs. With how they were, Kai kneeling on the floor with his head in Luhan’s lap kneeling on the bed, almost like the ying-yang symbol Luhan could see decorating Kai’s underwear were they peaked over the edge of his pants, Luhan knew his legs would fall asleep under him.   

 

“K-Kai…I’ll cum,” Luhan warned, nails dragging up Kai’s back to keep the pooling heat down.

 

Kai pulled away and traced kisses up Luhan’s stomach as they unfurled. He pulled Luhan’s shirt up with the kisses, forcing it off when he came to one of Luhan’s nipples, suckling it with more zealousness than he had sucking Luhan’s dick. Luhan’s stomach twisted and turned with nerves and need and this was one thing Luhan hated about sex with Kai—he did everything he could to make Luhan go crazy before actually putting it in. But it felt good, oh so good.

 

“Luhan,” Kai said and kissed Luhan’s collarbone, “I want to take you from behind, is that okay?”

 

Luhan moaned, hands fisted in the sheets. “I don’t care how you take me, just take me already, you’re driving me crazy.”

 

Kai chuckled, “You’re cute when you’re needy, _hyung_.”

 

“Just fuck me already, ughngh!” Kai’s fingers were slipping down Luhan’s pants and he threw himself back exasperated and to help ease in getting him naked. He immediately spread his legs when his pants and underwear were gone, looking between them at an amused Kai. He had gotten use to it—the fact he was a blunt ex-virgin. He had expected himself to be shyer, but maybe that’s why he got along with Tao, that had been a mystery he had always wondered about.

 

Kai’s tongue was in his hole. Luhan’s whole body jerked and he kicked one of his long white legs at Kai. “There’s lube in my underwear drawer, I don’t have time for you to play, Kai~~~~.”

 

Kai laughed and got. Luhan watched him fumble in his drawer, blushing a little every time he heard Kai laughed at a particular pair of underwear he saw. He came back and tapped Luhan’s thigh. Luhan turned and climbed up the bed then angled himself down with his butt in the air. He only realized this was the first time in this position when Kai climbed onto the bed and started poking his hole with lubed fingers. It was kind of embarrassing like this, he couldn’t really see what Kai was doing, couldn’t be sure if it was Kai if it wasn’t for the fact he knew what Kai’s fingers felt like.

 

“You like it when I rim you though, _hyung_.”

 

Luhan moaned as Kai slipped a second finger into him and started reaching deep inside him. “We don’t have time for you to stretch me slow. We have…mnh…yes there…we have a party to get ready for.”

 

“Alright, then I’m just going to go in then,” Kai said and pulled his two fingers out. “You’re still a little loose from this morning in the lobby bathroom.”

 

Luhan groaned with the reminder. _Ace’s_ had become a sort of meeting place on even their days off. It had been a couple days and Luhan had initiated it, a deep kiss in front of the homophobic receptionist and then Kai pulled him into the bathroom by the door. It had been quick and rough and satisfying and would probably loose him his job if he hadn’t caught Kris and Minseok doing the same thing when they first got engaged.

 

Kai slipped in and Luhan let out a scream of a moan. It didn’t really hurt, it was just hot and pulsing and there was all that friction. He lowered his forehead to the bed sheets and pushed his hips back. Kai’s hands planted themselves on his hips and he started to move, slow only for the first few thrusts before he started to feel the same impatience Luhan had from the moment Kai had taken his shirt off.

 

The bed rocked. The headboard hit Luhan’s wall and Luhan was embarrassed by it. They had a corner apartment, but there were neighbors on Luhan’s side, not where his bed was, thank goodness, but could they still hear even a muffled thump reverberating from the bed wall to Luhan’s closet wall that he shared with his neighbor’s laundry room?

 

Oh well, if they did then they could just be jealous of the awesome sex he was having.

 

Awesome sex that ended too soon because Luhan was still freshly bloomed and Kai…well, with him finishing right after, maybe he was just a bit in love with Luhan, too.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            “Get up, we don’t have time to nap,” Luhan said shrugging the shoulder of his sleeping boyfriend. They had only been cuddling for twenty minutes when he felt Kai’s chin drop onto the top of his head. He let him sleep for another twenty before moving from his place resting on Kai’s chest to shake him awake.

 

Kai groaned. “Five more minutes.”

 

“No, the sun’s already down, we have to shower.”

 

Kai’s arms reached out and pulled Luhan back down on his chest. Luhan’s ear landed over Kai’s heart and he could hear it beating in a slow comforting rhythm like the purring of a cat.

 

“Shower with me.” Kai’s voice was rough with sleep, it made Luhan shiver.

 

“We don’t have time to do things in the shower, Kai.”

 

Kai chuckled and sat up letting Luhan free of his caging arms. “I promise I won’t do more than suck you off.”

 

“Kai~,” Luhan whined. Not that it wasn’t a nice thought, but if they were going to do anything more, he would rather wait until after the party.

 

The model just reached a hand out and patted Luhan’s hair then slipped off the bed. “Can I get a drink?”

 

“There’s water and tea in the fridge,” Luhan said sliding off the bed as well with a sheet wrapped around him. “I’ll start the bath.”

 

Kai shot him a knowing grin before he left the bedroom in all his naked pale gold glory.

 

It wasn’t like Luhan said they couldn’t shower together.

 

He made his way to the bathroom, but paused when he heard the water running.

 

“Where is your roommate?” Kai called from the kitchen.

 

“The salon,” Luhan yelled back, standing in front of the bathroom door.

 

“You can make cake?” Kai called again.

 

“No,” Luhan said then reached for the handle. Tao was at the salon and Yixing would have gone with him seeing as the two of them had been stuck to each other for the past week. Who was in the bathroom? He opened the door just a peak and said softly, “Yixing.”

 

The unicorn man stood with one hand on the side of the shower, one leg climbing over the tub to get out naked. He looked up at Luhan and his eyes went wide.

 

“Luhan, what are you standing outside the door for?” Kai asked coming over. He placed a hand on Luhan’s shoulder and it was when he felt Kai’s fingers press into his skin that Luhan knew Kai had seen Yixing. “What the fuck is he doing?”

 

Kai’s sudden outburst caused Yixing to slip getting out. Luhan rushed forward, reaching out to keep Yixing from falling, but all he got a hold of was the white gold necklace around his neck. The clasp gave and the necklace came loose in Luhan’s hand leaving a crumpled unicorn to fall to the tub.

 

Luhan turned suddenly, hands clasping the necklace to his chest to gauge Kai’s reaction. The younger man just stood there, eyes wide as he stared past Luhan at the unicorn.

 

“Kai?” Luhan called. His boyfriend didn’t respond and Luhan pushed him into the living room, wrapping the sheet around his waist and hurried over to his bedroom to put some clothes on before going back to the bathroom to tend to the unicorn.

 

Yixing was standing awkwardly in the bathroom, the room almost too small for him. Luhan held the necklace up and made sure it wasn’t broken before walking up to Yixing to replace it around his strong white horse neck. He patted his neck once before taking a step back to let the magic do its thing. Luhan looked away once human Yixing stood in front of him and rubbed the back of his neck.

 

“Sorry about that, I thought you would have gone with Tao. Why didn’t you great us when we got here?”

 

“Tao said you would probably be having sex. I waited until it was quiet before showering,” Yixing said grabbing a towel to wrap around his waist.

 

“Right…well, what should we do about Kai?”

 

Yixing started to dry off his hair. “He saw me. Are you in love with him?”

 

“Why is that…” Yixing was staring at him, a knowing look in those otherwise blank eyes. “Yeah, probably.”

 

“We should tell him. I’ll get dressed.”

 

Luhan nodded and turned to head back to the living room. Kai still looked shocked and Luhan gingerly took a seat beside him, taking one of his hands and holding it in both of his.

 

“Kai, what did you just see?”

 

Kai turned and his face snapped back into something Luhan could actually read—anger. “Well, two things and I’m hoping both of them weren’t true—you staring at another man naked, and that man suddenly turning into a unicorn.”

 

Luhan frowned. “I wasn’t staring; I was just surprised he was there.”

 

“Why was he there in the first place, Luhan?”

 

“He lives here, I’ve told you, right? I thought he was out with Tao.”

 

Kai suddenly switched the position of their hands so he was holding Luhan’s and looked at him earnestly. “You’re not cheating on me are you?”

 

Luhan blinked, mouth parted in surprise. He suddenly tore his hand away angry. “Why would I cheat on you? You’re my first and only so far.”

 

Kai grabbed his hands again. “So far? I don’t like how that sounds.”

 

“Yes, well, what about you? You can’t possibly only be sleeping with me.”

 

Kai grabbed Luhan’s face instead. It wasn’t hard, but Luhan felt a little like a child with Kai’s thumb pressing into his cheek making him make a fish face. Kai leaned in, eyebrows furrowed. “I’m not gentle with people I don’t have good intentions with. I don’t usually date people so Sehun might not have told you, but I’m serious. If I just wanted someone to screw around with, I would have left this relationship as simply model and manager after I learned you were a virgin. It’s a big deal even for a forty year old better yet twenty-seven. I’m taking responsibility. I wanted it, so I took it. I want you, so I’m keeping you. I more than kind of fall a little bit in love with you every time I think someone else might take you.”

 

Luhan blushed. “You’re jealous?”

 

“Of course, we’re dating, you’re mine.”

 

Luhan laughed. “I’m not yours until I have a ring on my finger. That’s legal now here.”

 

Kai seemed to lighten up and that and let Luhan’s face go. “My contract says I can’t marry until I’m thirty.”

 

Luhan beamed. “Then at thirty, I expect a ring. I’m more than a little bit in love with you, too.”

 

Kai smiled back and grabbed Luhan’s face again, softly, leaning in for a kiss. Yixing suddenly cleared his throat and Luhan pushed Kai way.

 

“I’m supposed to explain about the unicorn, right?” Yixing asked.

 

“I didn’t really see a unicorn, did I?” Kai asked.

 

Luhan turned to his boyfriend and sighed. “I know it’s hard to believe, but yeah, Yixing’s a unicorn. Tao went to that circus that caught on fire and then found Yixing here battered up some miles away the next morning and brought him here. Originally we were just going to keep him around until we thought the circus had lost interest in looking, but Tao seems to need him.”

 

“So…” Kai started looking between Yixing and Luhan, “…what am I supposed to do?”

 

“Stay quiet about it, he’s mostly human as long as that necklace doesn’t come off,” Luhan said.

 

Yixing touched the necklace. “Zitao gave it to me, he’s my Master.”

 

Kai raised a brow. “Master?”

 

Luhan stood and grabbed Kai’s hand. “We’ll talk about that later, let’s take a bath.”

 

“Are you going to keep quiet?” Yixing asked.

 

“If Luhan’ll suck me off tonight then I’ll keep quiet,” Kai yelled back just as the bathroom door shut behind them then grinned at Luhan.

 

Well, it wasn’t like Luhan had never thought about doing that.

 


	16. “…, he just wanted a blow job.”

**Chapter 16 “…, he just wanted a blow job.”**

 

            Tao wasn’t sure what to make of Yixing sitting on the couch with a cup of tea, eyes closed. There was a sort of pushed on sereneness to him and the room around that made Tao fill on edge. He ran a hand through his newly cut and dyed hair after shutting the door and approached Yixing.

 

“Where’s Luhan, did they already leave?”

 

A smile appeared on Yixing’s face, dimples deep, and his eyes fluttered opened. “Your hair looks nice.”

 

Tao stopped touching his hair and removed his jacket. He moved to the mirror by the door and adjusted his bangs. “I wasn’t sure if the red was a good choice. I thought the black was too gloomy, a little color would make me more approachable as a designer.”

 

“I like it,” Yixing said.

 

Tao laughed. “You’re in love with me; you’d like it even if I was balled.”

 

“I wouldn’t like it, I would just like you.”

 

A frown tugged on Tao’s lips and he looked away from the mirror. “Where’s Luhan again?”

 

Yixing took a slow sip of his tea before answering. “They just finished.”

 

“Finished what?” Tao asked, but a moment later, the bathroom door opened. Luhan and Kai stepped out followed they a stream of steam. They had bathrobes wrapped around them. They paused when they saw Tao.

 

“Oh, welcome back, Tao,” Luhan said swatting behind where Kai was doing something to his back.

 

Tao sighed. “Go get dressed already.”

 

The two hurried away and Tao moved to stand behind the couch, elbows resting on the back of it next to Yixing. “Could you hear them?”

 

“Yes, Luhan’s very loud,” Yixing said and took another sip. “They didn’t know I was here, though, so there was a little mishap.”

 

Tao reached over and grabbed the tea away from Yixing. He glared at the unicorn man who just stared down at his empty hands before turning to Tao, blinking.

 

“What mishap?” Tao asked.

 

Yixing reached out and took the cup back. “Kai knows I’m a unicorn now. Luhan gave him a blowjob in the bathroom so he wouldn’t say anything. I don’t the he would have, he just wanted a blow job.”

 

Tao was stunned for a few minutes, hand still held as if he was holding the cup, then he sighed. “Are you sure that it’s fine?”

 

“He doesn’t smell like the kind to betray someone. There’s a sort of innocence still to him,” Yixing explained.

 

Tao lifted a hand to run through his hair, but stopped himself remembering how many times he had already did that and that his hair would get greasy before he could even fix it properly. “If you’re sure then I’ll put it in yours and Luhan’s hands. But if I catch him potentially compromising your part in my work, I’ll get Kris to fire him.”

 

“Kris, your boss?” Yixing asked.

 

“Yeah,” Tao said and turned ready to get his ‘casual black tie’ attire on.

 

“Yifan?”

 

Tao’s chest tightened. “…Yeah.”

 

Honestly, Tao didn’t know what ‘casual black tie’ meant, but the four of them left the apartment in white dress shirt, a variety of colorful bowties, and black slacks, Luhan and Kai in matching black vests. He figured this was close enough. It was Tao’s first party after the announcement of his showcase. He had to make a good impression and make some good connections in order to get the right people to come to his show.

 

Also, he hadn’t had sex in a couple weeks.

 

Sex with Baekhyun didn’t count.

 

For once in Tao’s life, he was a bit jealous of Luhan’s relationship. They kept flirting in the limo Kris had finally agreed on renting for his workers after much bugging from Tao. Their hands were always somewhere on each other and their faces were, more often then not, hidden against the other’s ear whispering sickly sweet stuff that Tao could feel rotting his teeth already. He knew they had fucked at least once that day already and would probably undoubtedly do it again before the sun rose.

 

Tao didn’t plan on going home that night. His key was in his pocket ready to slip over to Yixing the moment they arrived at the party. He needed a good fuck, not a friendly toss in the sheets. He had been working hard for the past couple weeks getting his designs into the final stages and then having to deal with Yixing all the time. Actually, that was probably Tao’s fault. He didn’t want to be around the unicorn man, but he didn’t want him out of his sight either encase he started loosing inspiration.

 

Tao remembered the kiss.

 

He turned to glare at Yixing, but was caught by the pretty angle Yixing had his head tilted as he fussed with his silk black bowtie. There should have been a photographer in the limo, the angle would make hundreds put into a magazine selling almost anything. Yixing turned, brown eyes locking with Tao’s. They were blank in curiosity before adoration filled them and Tao had to look away. He tapped his lips with his thumb.

 

He wished he hadn’t remembered.

 

The club was farther than Tao usually went for a night out. He lowered his window to see where they were when the Limo started to slow. It was an area that mixed high class with dirty rutting on the dance floor. Most of the men walking around appeared straight, but they were going to a fashion centered party and that was a plus in Tao’s career choice—fashion brought in the women and the gays. It was stereotypical of him, but Tao really didn’t care right then. The limo had stopped.

 

Tao piled out of the limo last, right behind Yixing. He looked up and could see Kris with Minseok on the balcony of the club they were entering. There were lots of different rooms seemingly rented by different groups and those free for all were all the way to the back with the pounding music that made Tao’s chest ache with excitement. They went up the stairs to the second floor, waving their invitations at the second round of bouncers and waved at Kris to let him know they were there. When they reached the middle of the room, Kai and Luhan walked away, both standing tall, Kai’s hand low on Luhan’s back the only indication of their non-professional relationship.

 

“Where should I go?” Yixing asked.

 

“Well,” Tao said and looked around the room. There were mainly businessmen, old businessmen with mistresses and wives all half their age. There were actresses, low class ones and more models than Tao could count. One of the models had wide shoulders, and maybe not the nicest smile, but he would definitely not argue with Tao on positions. “You can go make friends with the women, they love a decent flirter, I’m going to go see if I can’t give someone a blow job myself.”

 

He pulled his keys out of his pocket and slipped them into Yixing’s hand before making his way over to where the model had just finished pushing off a girl who had unsuccessfully flirted with him. He took once glance back to see if Yixing was following him only to see he had already disappeared.

 

It seemed Yixing knew how to obey his Master.

 

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            The guy was a social butterfly which could either be good or bad when it came to sex—he could either care about how well and how hard he could get someone off or only care about how hard he got off. It didn’t take long to get the guy’s interest going after only introducing himself. By the looks of it, he was either bi or straight with a twist (the latter something Tao hadn’t had a taste of yet.) The guy kept Tao close after their initial conversation, either watching him out of the corner of his eye as Tao meandered in the same vicinity or moved to add into Tao’s conversation, occasionally touching the low of his back in greeting for a few seconds.

 

Kris came by and that was the longest time Tao had gone without seeing his night’s fuck. He was wearing his engagement ring which he had bought after Minseok complained about being the only one wearing one since they were both men. Tao had noted Kris didn’t often wear it on his finger. Minseok didn’t either. They had matching chains around their necks of silver to match the silver bands with some love dovey shit Tao never bothered to read engraved on the inside. They had stood side by side talking to a group of older men about Tao’s showcase. Tao had glimpsed Minseok over by the food glancing their way every now and then. It annoyed him, not so much that Minseok was there looking longingly after his fiancé, but that he didn’t just barge into the conversation. But, Minseok wasn’t on reporter duty right now and he loved Kris which meant respecting his work. If Minseok felt more comfortable standing by the food at a party that wasn’t really his taste than feeling invisible at Kris’ side…well, maybe that was why they worked well together.

 

Tao eventually excused himself from the conversation and went on a look out for his night’s fuck. He found Luhan laughing against Kai’s shoulder at something another model had said. Tao was in the mind to reprimand his roommate about being obvious about his relationship in public, but maybe leaning into Kai all the time was just a reflex of him being in love with the younger guy way to quick. Was that something you did when you were in love?

 

Tao’s chest clenched and he placed a hand over his heart. He use to lean against Kris all the time.

 

The guy was close to the entrance of the party room. He grinned the moment he saw Tao and stood straighter. Tao returned the grin and walked up to him.

 

“How about we step out for a bit,” the guy said.

 

Tao tilted his head, eyes slanting in mischief. “Do you need help with something?”

 

“I thought about showing you some moves; see if you would consider me for a certain show.”

 

Tao immediately frowned. The guy, well he was a model after all, was trying to get a run in his show. He moved past the door. “Follow me and we can check if you’ve got the right physique for what I’m looking for.”

 

They went to one of the bathrooms on the lower floor by the rooms that were free-for-alls. Tao walked in to make sure no one was inside before occupying the largest stall and waited for the guy to follow in after. Tao inspected the cubicle and chuckled seeing the hole in the wall just big enough for a hand. Or an erect penis. The bathrooms in the back really made the rest of the club cheap.

 

Hands suddenly grabbed Tao’s hips and pressed him against the stall wall with the hole, hips pressing against his butt.

 

“How about you get on your knees; It’ll be a perfect view to see my physique,” the guy said.

 

Tao rolled his eyes. Maybe this guy wouldn’t be as good as he thought. A quick blow job and he could go back to hunting. Tao pressed back until he was enough off the wall to turn. He grinned up at the guy before dropping to his knees and unbuttoned the guy’s black slacks.

 

“It’s pretty big,” Tao said pulling out the already hardened piece of meat.

 

That was what it looked like, just red pulsing raw meat, not pretty at all. He was probably all muscle and hard quick fuck. Tao wanted something a little more fun than that tonight. He took the meat in his hand and stroked it, watching amused as the guy’s face contorted in pleasure that looked more like he was crying. Once it was leaking, he took it into his mouth. At least he didn’t taste bad. Tao sucked hard, focused more on trying to get the guy off quickly than pleasuring him. The guy suddenly grabbed his hair and started basically fucking his throat. Tao let his teeth scrape against the sensitive skin in displeasure, but the guy seemed to barely notice too lost in his own fun.

 

It was annoying.

 

The door opened and someone walked into the stall next to theirs. Tao relaxed his throat and stayed quiet. He couldn’t very well teach the guy a lesson with bystanders around. The door opened again right after and the second person knocked on their stall before grumbling out something and went to the second stall just before the first person and clicked it shut. There was a shuffle of feet and then muffled words. Tao tried to listen, but the guy still in his mouth was getting loud.

 

“St-stop…it’s occupied,” someone said softly. At least that’s what Tao thought they said.

 

“Shh, why else did you come in here unless you wanted to suck some dick.”

 

“N-no….restroom…needed…STOP!”

 

The last stop was clear to Tao’s ears and he froze. He heard more hands moving around in the next stall and let his teeth graze harder against the penis in his mouth so the guy would pull out. He was glaring at Tao and seemed about to get rough, but Tao was faster. He kicked their stall door opened then went to the next one. He knocked.

 

“Yixing?”

 

A muffled response of his name.

 

Tao kicked the door lock free and it flung out to reveal an older guy pressing the unicorn man against the hole wall, one hand down Yixing’s pants, the other over his mouth. Red filled his vision and Tao had a fist flying before he had even stepped into the stall. The man fell back against the toilet, barely missing knocking his head against the dirty porcelain. He grabbed Yixing’s wrist and pulled him out of the stall then kicked the molester man’s leg.

 

“Not everyone that comes in here wants to suck your dick; some of them actually need to shit. Get out!”

 

The man hurried away, wiping the side of his face which Tao hadn’t really hit hard. He didn’t need to cause trouble for Yixing. The model guy was still there, Tao could see his reflection in the mirror out of the corner of his eye. “You get out, too.”

 

The guy gestured down to his halfhazardly tucked away bulge. “What about this?”

 

“You got ten extra second in my mouth because those two guys walked in. You’re on what I’m looking for for tonight or my show.”

 

The guy tsked, but fixed himself up and left.

 

The moment the door was closed, Tao rounded on Yixing, pressing him up against the wall. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

 

Yixing looked at him with wide eyes then looked down. “I just wanted to walk around for a bit then I had to go to the bathroom and this was the closest one.”

 

Tao followed his gaze down and saw Yixing’s pants still undone. He shoved his own hand down them, not so much surprised by the lack of underwear which he had forgotten he needed to buy for his muse, but by the fact that Yixing was semi-hard. He looked up to see fear on Yixing’s face, genuine fear.

 

“I…I saw your shoes when I went into the cubicle…I…”

 

Tao narrowed his eyes. “You were thinking about me when he was touching you.”

 

“I didn’t want to hit him and cause you trouble. I thought…if I got hard he might slip up and I could get away. But, his fingers…I got scared.”

 

“What did his fingers do? Did they go inside?” Tao’s hand moved lower. He remembered touching that spot before, but he hadn’t looked at it. Was it blushing and twitching now? Had it for that man?

 

Yixing shook his head and his body shivered. “He just touched it.”

 

Tao paused his finger before he could touch that spot. He stared at Yixing and watched that fear mix with want…with love. He lifted his other hand and banged it against the wall over Yixing’s head, head falling onto Yixing’s shoulder.

 

“Shit!”

 

“Zitao?” Yixing asked softly.

 

“Be quiet, I’m jealous right now,” Tao said and started taking in deep breaths. He hadn’t anticipated other people touching Yixing, touching his muse. He was his, Tao was his master. “You’re…not supposed to let others touch you, you’re in love with me.”

 

“Zitao.”

 

It was sad. Tao didn’t want to hear his name said sadly. He moved his hand out of Yixing’s pants and grabbed his face, tilting it up. He looked down at curious, scared, but trusting brown eyes then at quivering half parted lips. He kissed them.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            The length of their arms clasped together felt more like a leash as Tao led Yixing back to their apartment after a politely early leave of the party. He hadn’t started holding onto it, he had only grabbed Yixing’s hand after they walked out of the cab. Yixing stayed quiet from the moment they stepped out of the bathroom, but he kept a light flush on his cheeks the whole time as Tao kept him by his side as he finished up his greetings. Luhan had looked at them curiously, but Tao had only made sure that Luhan was going to Kai’s place that night before leaving the party.

 

Tao made Yixing stand against the wall and moved his hands up and down Yixing’s body for his keys, pulling them out of Yixing’s slack’s back pocket. He opened the door and threw his keys onto the coffee table before turning to wait for Yixing to walk in. Tao grabbed his hand again once the front door was shut and locked and moved them through the dark apartment to his bedroom. He used his hold on Yixing’s hand to through him onto his bed tucked up in a corner of the sparsely decorated room in black and white and leopard. Yixing sat on the edge looking at Tao, eyes glowing in the dark of the room. Tao turned on his lamp and the glow disappeared.

 

“Yixing, strip,” Tao said staring the unicorn man down.

 

Yixing’s eyes widened. Tao walked forward impatient and grabbed the white gold necklace around Yixing’s neck.

 

“Strip everything but this. You have to do what your master says, don’t you?”

 

Yixing looked down, his shoulders shaking for a moment before he started remove his dress shirt then slipped his pants off still seated on the bed. Tao stayed standing in front of Yixing. He grabbed one of the unicorn man’s hands when he was done and placed it on his crotch.

 

“Strip me, too. This part first.”

 

Yixing looked up at him for a second, eyes not understanding, but his lashes soon fell and he licked his lips. Tao couldn’t help but grin at the innocent look of lust that crossed Yixing’s face. The unicorn man unzipped his pants and pushed them down with Tao’s underwear to the floor to pool at his feet. He grabbed Tao’s member and leaned forward, licking the tip. Tao moans softly and patted a hand on top of Yixing’s head in an affectionate manner. That had been his next order, but the unicorn had gone ahead without him asking.

 

“Do it slowly, Yixing,” Tao said as Yixing started taking him in his mouth. “Slowly. I’m not going to fuck your throat on the first time.”

 

The unicorn man moved slowly, not taking Tao all the way, but it felt good because it was soft and gentle, like Yixing was treating that piece like a precious gem. He shivered as a memory flashed by. Had Kris felt guilt or joy when Tao had done this? Tao could only feel pleasure. He left Yixing’s hair alone and undid his own shirt, letting it fall with his pants.

 

 

“Enough,” Tao said placing his hand back on Yixing’s hair. “Enough; get back on the bed and spread your legs wide.”

 

Yixing moved off Tao with a wet pop that sent a shiver down Tao’s back. He watched Yixing move back on the bed, back against the wall and shyly, so shyly it almost made Tao reach out and rip them apart, did Yixing spread his legs. Wide. Long cream legs revealing a twitching pink hole nothing like Baekhyun’s or any other person Tao had hooked up with only to end up on the wrong end. This one was for him, wanting only him, and thinking someone had tried to touch it made a low growl rumble deep in Tao’s throat.

 

Tao turned to his dresser and pulled out lube and a condom. He threw the lube beside Yixing and climbed onto the bed as he tore the small package open with his teeth. Yixing only blinked at him like a rabbit unsure of what its master was doing. Tao chuckled at the image. He was Yixing’s master. He didn’t want others touching Yixing _that_ way even if he wasn’t touching Yixing either.

 

But, maybe he would start. It wasn’t like he needed to be in love to sleep with someone.

 

Tao quickly slipped the condom of the grabbed the lube to coat his fingers. He used his clean hand to hold Yixing’s legs wide and pressed a finger straight into Yixing’s entrance. There was resistance, but Yixing gasped and the motion allowed Tao to slip in all the way. He started to move it slowly and when he added the second finger, he looked up to check Yixing’s reaction. His eyes were scrunched up and breathing hard. He had one hand held above his head against the wall steadying himself while the other fisted the sheets. Tao scissored for a few more minutes then added the third.

 

Yixing let out a moan of pain at the third finger and then went to biting his lip. It turned white then red with a small stream of blood and Tao leaned forward, licking the stream up before pressing his lips against Yixing’s. The unicorn man gasped and Tao took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside and twirl it with Yixing’s, distracting him from his fingers that moved quickly and deeply. He grazed a spot and Yixing bit Tao’s lips. Yixing muttered a soft apology against Tao’s lips as he moved back. He licked his bitten lip then pulled his fingers out. Tao grabbed both of Yixing’s thighs and moved him so his hips were in his lap, back still half against the wall. He brushed his member once against Yixing’s hole then pushed in with one sudden hard thrust.

 

“Z…Zitao~” Yixing whined.

 

Tao could imagine the spasms of pain going up Yixing’s back. He could also imagine how every new one was a little less. He waited until Yixing’s breathing became steady before moving his hands to hold onto Yixing’s hips as he started to move in and out.

 

“Zitao…wai—Zitao…” Yixing muttered, moaned, whimpered. He had one arm above his head again holding himself against the wall and the other moved from the sheets to Tao’s shoulder, nails digging into his flesh.

 

Tao groaned. Yixing was hot and tight, more so than he remembered in the shower. Maybe because Yixing had known this was coming, he could see it in Tao’s eyes as he dragged Yixing around with him at the end of the party. He had been excited, his hole had been excited, his heart…Tao could almost hear the quickening beats of it.

 

Yixing’s eyelashes barely allowed Yixing’s eyes to be seen through their kissing touch. Tao could just make out the wavering pleasure in them as he started getting close to his end. He grabbed Yixing’s member and stroked it with his thrusts, going faster, harder, making Yixing slid down the wall until he laid flat on the bed. Tao could see his eyes better in this position, see affection, love trying to hide behind the pleasure.

 

Tao’s stomach curled and he couldn’t catch himself in time before he came hot into the condom, thin enough that he could almost imagine it spilling inside Yixing like in the shower. He kept moving, and moved his hand, until Yixing came hard onto both their stomach, a pretty arch accompanied by a scream of Tao’s name right before he finished.

 

“Zitao!”

 


	17. “…he thought he was dreaming.”

**Chapter 17 “…he thought he was dreaming.”**

 

            “Zitao?”

 

Tao shifted at the sound of his name, eyes fluttering for only a second before he let out a soft sigh back into sleep. The body beside him started to move and he wrapped his arms tighter around it. It was too warm to let go of and smelled of cake batter, flowers, and musk. He liked the smell and buried his nose more against the arm he was wrapped around. Soft fingers thread through his hair and he let out another sigh as reality turned into the peaceful black of sleep again just as soft laughter caressed his ear.

 

When Tao woke up properly, the space beside him in bed was empty. It wasn’t like he expected for his one night stands to wake up with him, even Baekhyun was rarely in bed unless Tao woke up first. However, after a few seconds of trying to remember who he had slept with last night, he realized why he was put off. This was his apartment, his room, and his muse…was not where he left him.

 

Tao crawled out of bed and slipped on a pair of sweatpants before walking out to the living room. Maple syrup filled the apartment and Tao followed his nose to the small kitchen. For a second he thought he was dreaming. He was faced with Yixing’s naked back only covered by the upper strap of an apron. But, as his eyes traveled lower, he could see the waistband of sweatpants. Yixing was working over the stove making pancakes. Tao walked over and wrapped his arms around the unicorn man’s waist, head flopping down onto his shoulder with a sleepy sigh.

 

“You’re making pancakes?”

 

Yixing stiffened up, the ladle of pancake mix he had been putting down going into an oblong shape. He turned his head slightly, eye darting to Zitao then away. “Yeah.”

 

Tao took in a deep breath, Yixing’s smell filling his nose now departed of the musky scent, replaced by shampoo. “Can you make animals? I want a panda.”

 

“Okay,” Yixing said and Tao watched him turn the oblong shape into a bear. “I don’t think I can make it a panda, but it’s a silhouette of one.”

 

Tao nodded and watched Yixing flip the flat cake. “Can you put whip cream and strawberries on it?”

 

“We don’t have either of those. We have maple syrup and apples.”

 

“Why don’t we have that?”

 

Yixing put the bear onto a plate. “Because I haven’t been given money to buy groceries with.”

 

Tao finally pulled away from Yixing, reluctant as Yixing hot back skin left his naked chest, and took the plate to cover in syrup. “We’ll go get groceries later.”

 

Yixing looked up, making another oblong shape with the motion. “Together?”

 

Tao stuck a forkful in his mouth and nodded. “Yeah, I want to buy some things, too.”

 

Yixing went back to making pancakes. Tao finished his and watched as Yixing’s circles started taking on the shape of hearts. He laughed.

 

“You’re making it too obvious you’re happy about it.”

 

“Sorry,” Yixing said and put the ladle down. “You’re just…nevermind.”

 

Tao frowned. He turned and put his plate in the sink. “Just what?”

 

“You’re being nice and cuddly with me. I thought you didn’t like me.”

 

Tao moved to the coffee machine, coffee already freshly brewed and waiting for him. He poured himself a cup. “I don’t dislike you, Yixing. I just find your existence annoying.”

 

Yixing started making pancakes again, still heart in various shapes. “If I’m annoying, then why are you being civil with me right now?”

 

Tao took a sip of his coffee. It was black and bitter, but he didn’t feel like rummaging around what was probably an empty fridge for the milk or creamers that Luhan liked to buy but never used. “You’re annoying because of things like last night.”

 

“What about last night?” Yixing finished up the pancake mix and moved to the sink, starting to wash up the dishes.

 

Tao tried to drink up the coffee in one shot, but stopped half way when it burned his tongue. “You give me inspiration, so I want to monopolize you, but you also give me things I don’t want, so what can I do? Things like last night and this morning will probably happen again.”

 

“You’re going to sleep with me again?” Yixing asked. The bubbles in the sink had crawled up his arm and he lifted one to wipe his forehead leaving a string of them on his bangs.

 

“I will, but not because I want to. It’s a good deal for you seeing as you’re in love with me.”

 

“So…we’re lovers?”

 

“No, you have to be in love, or at least dating to be lovers. Like Luhan and Kai. Maybe you might think of me as your lover, but you’re not mine. I don’t do lovers.” Tao sipped his coffee slower watching the line of bubbles slowly pop on Yixing’s bangs.

 

“But, you don’t hate me, but you want to sleep with me. What are we then? Master and unicorn?”

 

Tao laughed. “That sounds so ridiculous said out loud. There’s that, but I only did that so you’d have to stay my muse, you know.”

 

Yixing nodded. “I know. So, friends then?”

 

Tao hummed. Friends. But he would probably end up sleeping with Yixing again. So, like Baekhyun. Tao smiled. “Yeah sure, friends.”

 

Dimples popped up on Yixing’s face along with his smile. Tao walked over to him and patted down the rest of the bubbles stuck on his hair. “Friends, I’ll give you that much.”

 

He moved intending on a shower, but paused and looked back with a mischievous grin. “You should leave those heart shaped ones for Luhan when he gets home, leave a little embarrassing message, he’ll love it.”   

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            Yixing stood on a pedestal as Tao held up different swatches of fabric up to his face and hands and naked ankles under rolled up pant legs. Kai stood on a pedestal next to him with Luhan urgently trying to match Tao’s swatches against Kai’s skin so Tao could see both material and color on his two main male models. So far, Tao had only settled on two clothes of the sample runs the textile people had brought over—an off-white satin and a light pink cotton he could have his faded leopard pattern printed onto. He was going more toward browns, whites, and pinks as, if Kris gave him the job, selected outfits from the show would be put in the fall addition of _Ace’s_ magazine, but they needed to appeal to the spring and summer observers.

 

“You need a girl model,” Luhan said as he held up the same swatch in its sixth color for a second time.

 

“I haven’t picked out the main girl yet from the list,” Tao answered and went back to the previous color.

 

Luhan picked it up as well and patted it roughly against Kai’s chest making his boyfriend glare down at him. “Then how are you going to know what looks good on her?”

 

“First off, it’s not what looks good on her, but who looks good in what I choose. Second, you’re here,” Tao said and picked up a light pink swatch to hold against Luhan’s cheek. “There, perfect.”

 

Luhan frowned. “I’m not a girl. I don’t even look like one.”

 

“Correct, but you look young and have the air I’m looking for so maybe you should just be my main girl model and put on a dress.”

 

“I want to see him in a dress,” Kai piped up.

 

Luhan turned his glare to Kai. Kai only reached down and patted Luhan’s fluffy hair bleached blonde for the coming summer.

 

“I’m bi, it’s appealing,” Kai added.

 

Luhan sighed and turned back to Tao. “Still, you have to get this done by the end of the day.”

 

“I know, I know,” Tao said. He could remember Kris’ face that morning when he came with the box of swatches Tao had yet to pick up from his office. He had threatened to cancel the show if Tao didn’t have his material and prints finished by the end of the day. Tao really wanted that showcase.

 

It was three hours later when Tao finished picking the swatches for the men’s clothing and mot of the women’s, he had a pretty clear idea of what he wanted for them. While Kai jumped off his pedestal onto Luhan’s back (earning a reprimanding glare from hi elder boyfriend and then a quick affectionate peck to his cheek), Tao held a hand to help Yixing step down from his. Yixing took it hesitantly with a smile that almost showed his dimple. Tao caught Luhan giving them a look, the same look he had been giving them since coming home the afternoon after the party to find a pile of heart shaped pancakes waiting for him. The look (which had originally started off with only Luhan’s left eyebrow raised and some crinkles at the corners of his eyes) had gained a knowing smirk soon after and Tao assumed Yixing had been bullied into admitting they had had sex again. Tao preferred it when Luhan just looked curious. Smirking meant he was calculating and Tao didn’t like Luhan calculating. He had seen him solve a rubics cube in under a minute.

 

“Where should I go now?” Yixing asked.

 

Tao pulled his keys out and handed them to Yixing. “Go ahead to the apartment, you’re done for today. I’ll be home late; I still have work to do.”

 

 Yixing licked his lips and fiddled with the keys. Tao stood alert waiting for the unicorn man to say what obviously he wanted to say.

 

“We…so we won’t be going home together?” Yixing asked and looked up meeting Tao’s eyes.

 

“No. Actually, have Luhan take you home,” Tao said and took the keys back. “It’s late and we don’t need you getting lost in some dark alley.” He gestured for Yixing to go over to where Luhan was before he left the area headed back to his office.

 

In the elevator, Tao pulled out his cellphone and traced the corner that showed the time and date with a sigh. It was already well into May. The elevator rung and Tao put his phone away. He traced his gold plated name outside his door, the usual routine, but frowned seeing his door cracked opened. He loosened his body as he pushed the door opened so he could react faster if there was a burglar inside.

 

He almost had a heart attack.

 

Glitter showered down onto him before he heard the chorus of “Happy Birthday” coming from beside him. Tao turned with a glare to see Baekhyun with a party hat on his head. He wiped his hair off of glitter and made his way to his desk.

 

“My birthday was almost two weeks ago. I had a business party on that day.”

 

“Yeah, my birthday was almost to weeks ago, too,” Baekhyun said and produced a small cake with candles already lit. “But since we met each other, we’ve always celebrated them together afterwards.” He placed the cake down in front of Tao. “I just recently got some time to come see you properly.”

 

“You mean for more than some stress relieving sex?” Tao said and grinned.

  
Baekhyun grinned back and leaned over Tao’s desk, face close to his. “Let’s just blow out the candles, Zitao.”

 

On three, they blew, blue candles for Baekhyun and red candles for Tao. One red candle stayed lit. Baekhyun laughed.

 

“I heard in America that means you have a boyfriend. Do you have a boyfriend, Tao?” Baekhyun asked and perched himself up on Tao’s desk. He poked a finger into the white frosting of the cake and licked it off.

 

Tao copied the motion and made a face finding the frosting too…store bought for his taste. “Of course not. Where did you get that idea?”

 

“Your new model, you seem pretty sweet with him.”

 

“He lives with Luhan and I and he works here, I have to get along with him.”

 

Baekhyun hummed. “I think you’re sleeping with him.”

 

“That’s none of your business,” Tao said and turned to his computer, booting it up. “Just cut the cake.”

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            Baekhyun hadn’t shut up. Even after Tao literally stuffed the hand model’s face with cake, he continued on telling Tao about all the rumors he had been hearing among his model ‘friends’ about Yixing and him. They were lovers. Yixing was using Tao’s to be success to get his own. Yixing was some hobo Tao had picked up and forced into slavery. The last almost got it right. Then Baekhyun mentioned running into the ringleader and buying him coffee. He said the man had a copy of _Ace’s_ latest release where Yixing was featured with Kai and Sehun and kept looking at it. Tao had to try not to seem suspicious when he questioned Baekhyun about what he and the ringleader talked about. It was frustrating, but it seemed all Baekhyun let the man do was awkwardly react to his flirting.

 

It wasn’t that Tao didn’t trust Baekhyun; it was just Baekhyun’s mouth, though not the type for deep throating, was perfect for whispering. It would be better if Baekhyun didn’t know about Yixing being anything other than human.

 

At midnight, Tao made his way to _EXO Planet._

 

He needed a drink and maybe to sleep in a bed that wasn’t his own. Usually light didn’t bother him, but since the night of the party, he had become aware of the flickering lights under his door from the television Yixing fall asleep watching on the couch. It had been a month since Yixing had slept on that couch, Tao really couldn’t understand how he could stand it, and so there was also the urge to invite Yixing to his bed he had to fight. Inviting him to bed would lead to sex which wasn’t back, but if they started doing that habitually…wasn’t that basically dating?

 

Tao shrugged off his jacket the moment he entered the club. He draped it over his usual seat at the bar and let his head fall to the always newly cleaned bar counter with a groan. Five seconds later, Kyungsoo walked out, hair slightly tussled.

 

“Well if it isn’t Tao. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you here,” Kyungsoo said wiping his hands on a towel. He threw it in the hamper under the bar and leaned against the opposite side of the bar from Tao.

 

Tao looked up at him frowning. “Yeah, I get such special greetings when I’m gone for a couple weeks. Nice of you to greet me wiping Junmyeon’s semen from your hands.”

 

A blush appeared on Kyungsoo’s cheeks and he looked wide eyed back down at Tao. He didn’t say anything, just kept staring and Tao lifted his head to laugh loudly.

 

“You can’t seriously think it’s not noticeable. Your hair is out of place and it took you two seconds longer to get out here then it usually would. So what was it, a blow job or a hand job?”

 

Kyungsoo lifted a hand to his hair and pushed it back into place. “Vibrator. He was putting it in.”

 

Tao laughed more. “Punishment. Were you flirting with someone?”

 

Kyungsoo shrugged which turned into a shiver and he looked back at the doorway behind the bar he had entered with a glare. “I can’t help it if I always get hit on. I’m just attractive to guys.”

 

Tao nodded and tapped the top of the counter. “Get me a scotch on ice. I want something simple, but hard.”

 

Kyungsoo hummed and turned to retrieve a glass and the ordered gold liquor. As he poured it over the ice in the glass, Junmyeon appeared. He tapped his lover’s bottom causing another spasm to go through Kyungsoo’s body before coming to stand in front of Tao.  

 

“Scotch on the rocks, not your usual drink, Tao,” Junmyeon said. “Where’s your gay?”

 

Tao rolled his eyes and grabbed his drink when Kyungsoo slid it over to him. “Not all gay men drink fruity drinks.”

 

“No, but you seem to like to exploit that stereotype unless it’s wine or coke. You only let your shell down when something’s wrong.”

 

“I don’t have a shell.”

 

Junmyeon smiled at Tao, a soft knowing smile that was reassuring and it pissed Tao off.

 

“You’ve been coming to this club for how many years now? I know more about the people that come here than they know about themselves. That’s a barman’s job.” Junmyeon waved Kyungsoo off then grabbed a glass and poured himself a scotch as well. “So, lay it on me, Zitao Huang.”

 

Tao sighed. Junmyeon wasn’t a blabber mouth like Baekhyun and he wouldn’t pry like Luhan. He was a bit like Kris when he use to bother to tell Kris stuff—a brotherly reassuring presence. That was probably why they slept together that one time that they don’t speak of anymore.

             

“I don’t think you’ll believe me,” Tao said and took a sip.

 

“Then tell me the parts I will believe,” Junmyeon said copying the motion.

 

Tao swirled his glass watching the ice crackle with the motion of the warmer liquid around the cubes. “Alright. I picked up a guy a month back. He had been abused at his work and needed a place to stay so I took him in. I only intended it to be for a week, but he makes really great cakes and he wanted to help out and eventually I got him a job.”

 

Junmyeon nodded. “Now, did you sleep with him before or after you got him the job?”

 

Tao stared down at his drink. “Before and after.”

 

“Oh, well then,” Junmyeon said.

 

“What, what?” Tao asked. Junmyeon’s smile had turned from a reassuring one to a knowing one.

 

“Well, maybe, let’s test it first,” Junmyeon said and looked around. He gestured to a corner of the club where a white man sat drinking a glass of white wine and typing on a tablet. “Your type?”

 

Tao tilted his head. “Well, maybe. I was looking for a different bed to sleep in, but what did you mean by let’s see.”

 

“If you don’t go home with this guy by two, then I think you might generally be interested in this guy that’s staying at your place. You might even be in love with him.”

 

At the word love, Tao suddenly downed his scotch in one go, letting the burn down his throat keep him from cursing Junmyeon out. “Not…in love,” he coughed.

 

“Well, we’ll see. He’ll look over here in ten seconds, make your move.”

 

Tao straightened up then added a slight slouch. He prepared to look behind him just as the man looked over. Their eyes met and Tao could read everything the man could promise him for that night. Slightly kinky sex, probably a bottom who topped, cuddling which Tao could do without, but it would lead to more kinky sex, and then a clean break in the morning. He would be perfect, Tao could already see their bodies entwined together, but then there was a third pair of legs joining the mix, long creamy white ones that Tao had held as he rammed between them in the shower and on his bed.

 

When the man stood, Tao looked away. He held his head.

 

“Shit.”

 

“Can’t do it, can you,” Junmyeon said.

 

“I can’t even picture a threesome without my chest hurting,” Tao muttered and reached for his empty scotch glass.

 

Junmyeon grabbed it first. Before Tao could yell at him for taking the glass away, he felt his phone buzz and pulled it out. There was a text from Luhan’s phone, a picture text. A large cake with candles popped up on his screen. He read the caption under it.

 

**From: Roommate**

**To: Panda**

 

**I didn’t know your birthday had already past,**

**but I ran into your friend…Baekhyun?...**

**and he had a cake. You said you were working**

**late, so here’s a picture to help you work**

**faster. – Lay**

 

Tao held a hand to his chest. It was a birthday cake, the first homemade one he’d had since leaving China. Junmyeon clinked the glass against Tao’s head.

 

“Go home, Tao.”

 

 


	18. “…because love was a kind of war…”

**Chapter 18 “…because love was a kind of war…”**

 

            Kris had a last minute shoot ordered as soon as a couple of Tao’s designs were finished. It was to be used for making the posters and pamphlets for Tao’s show. Tao refused to show any of Yixing’s designs before the actual show, so he picked a girl model that would match Kai instead for the main female—or more like he planned, a girl that reminded him of Luhan. His roommate seemed jealous the moment Kai introduced the petite French model to Kai. He could see him bristling in the corner of the studio as Kai and the girl chatted side by side in their makeup chairs. Tao had never seen Kai this talkative before, but maybe it was just out of happiness that he got to be on the posters and pamphlets and not ‘Lay’. It didn’t really matter to Tao. After this showcase, ‘Lay’ would be exclusive to him.

 

What did bother Tao was Yixing’s presence next to Luhan. It had been a week since he’d gone to _EXO Planet_ and every morning he regretted rushing home to eat that cake. It was the best cake he’d had as far as birthday cakes went. But, now he was waking up early just to watch the unicorn man sleep on the couch if he was already up making breakfast. And honestly, Tao didn’t know why Yixing was at work today. He had nothing to do, but Tao was use to dragging the unicorn man into the cab with him along with a fresh cup of Yixing brewed coffee and had brought him without really thinking of what to do with him once at _Ace’s_. Telling Yixing he needed to ‘study Kai’ was the bullshittiest lie he had ever told.

 

The pink faded leopard pattern dress matched well to Kai’s white shirt and jeans with the same pattern in color between gray and gold. There was pink shimmer on Kai’s eyes to match the dress and the girl wore a smoky gold-gray. That was how Tao had decided on the makeup, switching between the models. ‘Lay’s’ was to be the smoky gold-gray as Tao had more of the pink tones for him to wear. The sets were soft, almost heaven like, but with a dark edge to them, clouds that thundered, and dark backdrops. There would be vcrs playing behind them at the actual cat walk, just soft swirling designs of stuff Tao wasn’t sure of, the apprentice designers were working on that and Tao didn’t have much of a say of what they came up with, just words to get them going on.

 

Chanyeol was still getting the back drops set up. He had been a lot quieter recently, the photographer. Tao wondered if it had anything to do with Sehun moving up in his career. Rumor had it, Chanyeol was Sehun’s latest escapade, or maybe they were actually dating, Sehun tended to switch between serious relationships and hookups. Would Kai eventually leave? Luhan probably wouldn’t like that, but Luhan could leave with Kai. _Ace’s_ was getting pretty popular so Tao didn’t think there was a need for that. What about ‘Lay’? Would Tao be able to keep that name to himself if Yixing suddenly wanted something more?

 

Those thoughts had Tao’s stomach on edge and he headed to the break room to raid the small usually empty fridge. He found a water bottle and didn’t dare look to see whose it was, just cracked the lid and started to gargle the cool water down.

 

“You okay there, Tao?” Luhan asked.

 

Tao turned to see his roommate in the door. He swallowed the gulp of water in his mouth and wiped his lips. “I’m fine, why do you ask?”

 

Luhan pointed at the water bottle. “You’re guzzling down my water like it’s the first time you’ve seen any in a month.”

 

“Oh, was it yours?” Tao asked and took another swig from the bottle then passed it over to Luhan.

 

“It was,” Luhan said taking the water and taking a sip then handing it back to Tao. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing, I’ve just had nothing but coffee today and I needed some water. What’s wrong with you? You’ve been glaring at your boyfriend since we got to the studio.”

 

The glare that had been present on Luhan’s face most of the day returned now directed at the wall behind Tao’s head. “I don’t like her.”

 

“Good, then I don’t have to worry about you flirting with her,” Tao said and moved around Luhan intending to head back out of the break room.

 

“Why would I hit on a girl, that’s gross?”

 

“And why would Kai?”

 

“He’s bi, he said already,” Luhan answered.

 

“If I remember correctly,” Tao countered, “he also said he was in love with you. Don’t take those words so lightly, I don’t think a friend of Sehun’s would say that to you without really meaning it.”

 

He didn’t need to turn to know Luhan had an ashamed blush on his cheeks, but he did turn and leaned forward in a comforting sort of way. “Luhan, I know it’s hard to trust him because he’s younger and your first, but you should know by this age when someone’s good for you or not. Hell, I even know he’s good for you and I should be the last person saying to give your all in a relationship.”

 

A smile lightened Luhan’s face and he reached out a hand to pat Tao’s shoulder. “I’m glad it’s you telling me, though. It’s double assurance.”

 

“What do you mean?” Tao asked. He had a bad feeling.

 

“You’ve seemed lighter since you slept with Yixing again. Maybe I’ll be able to say the same thing back to you, soon.”

 

Tao grabbed Luhan’s arm and leaned in further, this time threateningly. “I am not in love with Yixing.”

 

Luhan only continued to beam. “I never said anything about being in love with him, but if that’s what you were thinking…you’re really letting that shield slip, aren’t you?”

 

Tao froze for a minute and Luhan slipped his arm away, flittering over to Kai to probably get between him and his new friend.

 

His shield was slipping. He needed to keep it up or he’d get hurt because love was a kind of war and Tao still needed to fight through it.

 

“Zitao?”

 

Tao snapped out of it hearing Yixing. “What?”

 

“There’s still a while until the shoot, what should I do?” the unicorn man asked, a concerned look starting to take over his expression.

 

“Coffee,” Tao said. He dug around his pockets for his wallet and handed over a twenty. “Go across the street and get me the sweetest most fattening drink and something to eat. Get you something as well.”

 

Yixing took the money and hesitated in leaving.

 

“Hurry,” Tao snapped and ushered him away with his hands.

 

Sugar wasn’t going to be enough. Maybe Kris had some alcohol in his office.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            The photo shoot only lasted thirty minutes once it was set up—thirty minutes of Tao yelling at the photographers for calling out positions that Tao didn’t find favorable. They were supposed to be innocent but alluring, not look like high class prostitutes touching each other and putting wrinkles in Tao’s clothes. As soon as they got a roll of satisfactory pictures, Tao called the shoot off. Luhan was immediately back at Kai’s side once he was away from the cameras, all thoughts of keeping their relationship secret out the window. Tao left the moment the files had been sent to the print designers. He needed a drink, and not the coffee Yixing still hadn’t brought. And he needed to yell at Kris because He honestly didn’t need posters with the models on and they hadn’t fought in a while. Tao really just needed to let out some steam on someone who wouldn’t be hurt by it.

 

Kris’ office was on the top floor. It was hard to get there since the elevator was usually on the lower floors and people were always moving about down there and most of the time Kris wasn’t even in his office unless Minseok was visiting. Tao hoped the reporter wasn’t here, but he also hoped he didn’t have to go on a hunt for his boss. A quick phone call would give him Kris’ definite whereabouts, but what was the point in calling someone when all you wanted to do was yell at them? It was lunch. Maybe Kris would split his with Tao in apology.

 

The door to Kris’ office was cracked opened. It was the only office door on the floor and, like Tao’s, had a gold plate of Chinese in Kris’ birth name above the paper between silver sliders below it with the name Kris had took when they came to America. Tao stopped outside the door and reached up. He traced the letters just like he did his own. He couldn’t remember exactly when Kris said he had purchased them. Was it when Tao thought they were dating?

 

“Come in,” a voice called from inside.

 

Tao jumped then moved to the crack in the door to peak inside. Kris was at his desk writing something down in a book, glasses perched on his nose making him look more like a businessman and less like a model posing as a businessman as the magazines and papers often liked to call him.

 

“Zitao, if you’re not going to knock, then just barge in. You can dally in here if you still don’t know what you want to say to me,” Kris said and flipped a page in his book.

 

Tao reached for the handle, jiggling it, then pushed the door opened wider. He walked inside, letting the door go back to its cracked opened state. He put his hands in his pockets and looked around. Kris’ office was neat, all dark browns and mahoganies. It was an odd color choice, Tao had always thought, but Kris was the head of a fashion company and he knew how to make it work. There wasn’t much in the office other than file cabinets and bookshelves with books and other documents stacked neatly on them. One shelf had a few things from Kris’ mother’s home in China, and there was a purple orchid plant on the window sill that Tao was surprised hadn’t died. He still remembered Kris as being a messy person when it came to where he put things though he always knew where things were. Tao slid into the leather chair in front of Kris’ desk and examined its contents. Kris had a lamp and three picture frames on his desk. The smallest one of a triptych of him at five years old and his mother and father on each side. The medium frame was a picture of Tao and him before Kris went off to college. They were at the beach, laughing up into Kris’ camera. The largest was an engagement picture of Kris and Minseok. It used to be just a picture of Minseok he had captured in the same way as Tao’s, but since the engagement had become a public affair, he had switched them out. Tao still wasn’t use to there being a larger frame than his.

 

Kris put his pen down and reached his arms up stretching. “So, did you decide what you came to talk to me about?”

 

Tao slumped in his seat. “I didn’t want the shoot.”

 

“Yes, but I want to promote our models. You only picked Kai, though, why not this Lay that you bugged me so much to hire?” Kris asked.

 

“I don’t want to reveal Lay’s designs yet, they’re the ones I’m more proud of,” Kai said.

 

“Hmm, there’s that, but there’s also you not wanting to reveal Lay. I was rereading his contract earlier,” Kris said. “Are you really not going to let up on making him exclusively yours?”

 

“He’s only a model because I asked him to be.”

 

Kris sighed and removed his glasses. He pinched between his brows then leaned back in his chair and looked straight at Tao. “Zitao, I want to get something straight. If you were to want to leave _Ace’s_ to work for another company or to start your own, I would let you even thought you’re one of the driving forces in this company. You can’t keep Lay here forever.”

 

Tao furrowed his brows. He…he hadn’t come to get lectured, he’d come to do the lecturing. “That’s not any of your business, Yifan. Lay…what he does outside of his job isn’t your business. I’m his manager.”

 

“It does matter,” Kris yelled.

 

Tao stared at him surprised. Kris cleared his throat and looked away.

 

“I mean…damn it. Tao, I knew there was something odd between you two, but you looked like you needed him. I can’t have…I don’t know what kind of relationship you two have, but if you’re sleeping with him…”

 

“I’m not sleeping with him,” Tao interrupted.

 

Kris gave Tao a look. Like Tao was lying. It hurt and Tao looked away.

 

“Look me in the eyes, Zitao, and tell me you haven’t had sex with him.”

 

Tao glanced up at Kris then back down. “I’m not sleeping with him; it was just a couple of times.”

 

Kris’ chairs squeaked as he stood. “Tao, Kai spilled that Lay was in love with you.”

 

Tao chuckled. “I knew he couldn’t keep his mouth shut.”

 

“So you know?” Kris asked. “It’s true?”

 

“What of it? He’s in love with me, we had sex a couple times; he doesn’t bring it up all that often so it’s fine. If he wants to stay by me then it’s fine I don’t really mind.”

 

Kris walked around his desk and walked in front of Tao. “Zitao, you can’t keep someone like that beside you without giving in or hurting them. I know, Tao, and you should know what it’s like to be that person.”

 

“Are you comparing Lay and me to me and you?” Tao asked and stood up quickly almost coming face to face with Kris. “Don’t you dare! It’s different. Lay knew from the beginning how I felt about everything and you…I trusted you for so long.” He could feel tears coming to his eyes. It had been a while since he’d cried. Tao use to cry a lot before. He brought up his hand and rubbed his eyes.

 

“Tao,” Kris said and placed a hand on Tao’s shoulder.

 

Tao shrugged it off and took a step back trying to get around the chair. “No…no, don’t comfort me, I don’t want to be comforted. You tried, you tried, but the fact you tried…that hurts the most Kris. You promised when it came to my heart, you’d stay out of it. If I refuse to fall in love with Lay, but I want to keep him beside me, what say do you have in that? You did the same and then you moved on and I’m still here and I don’t plan to go anywhere. I want to stay beside you Kris and hurt more and more until my heart’s so broken it _can’t_ be fixed. I don’t want anything affecting it before then.”

 

“Tao, you don’t really want that,” Kris said. “I want you to be happy.” There was sadness in Kris’ eyes, and that guilt Tao had become addicted to.

 

“I already fell in love with the perfect man once; I don’t want to fall in love again,” Tao confessed and stuffed his hands in his pockets again. “I can be happy without being in love.”

 

Kris sighed. “Tao, I’m not perfect…I’m…”

 

Something clicked behind them. Tao turned and saw the cracked door now totally closed. He walked to it and opened the door only to see two tall frappuccinos with the works spilled across the hall floor along with a chocolate muffin. Tao’s heart clenched and he turned to the door frame, slamming a fist against it just as Kris walked up behind him.

 

“Who was it?” Kris asked.

 

“Yixing,” Toa said softly. Yixing had been there, he had heard them, he had heard Tao confess. He pounded the door frame again. “Yixing!”

 

“Tao, what’s wrong?” Kris said, reaching out, but Tao had already moved away from the door, running, running down the hall.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

 

            The French model’s glare made Luhan smile. Certainly he wasn’t being professional, but he could be professional after everyone knew Kai was his. And Kai didn’t seem to mind that Luhan had straddled him in his makeup chair when Luhan noticed the French model still lingering about after the shoot. Or maybe he was just distracted with groping Luhan’s butt. The studio workers didn’t pay attention to them. Luhan could remember Sehun making out in the corners of the studios with random models and workers. It was like a second home and with the usual chaos the studio was in, ignoring some random lovebirds was the last of their worries.

 

“I didn’t think you were the cuddling type,” Kai said and lifted a hand from Luhan’s butt to caress his cheek.

 

Luhan tilted his head from side to side, arms wrapped around Kai’s neck. “I’m no, I’m just the jealous type.”

 

Kai grinned. “Good. So am I.”

 

Luhan chuckled and leaned in for a quick peck of Kai’s lips.

 

“You coming home with me after work?” Kai asked.

 

Luhan sighed and slipped off Kai’s lap to take the makeup chair next to Kai. “No, I have a business call to answer later. They want you to guess model in Korea.”

 

Kai reached out and took Luhan’s hand. “Only if we can use the opportunity to go on a vacation together.”

 

Luhan sighed. “That sounds nice. Let’s do that.”

 

Kai started to lean over for another kiss, but Luhan’s phone rang. He turned away and pulled it out of his pocket. Tao’s name blinked across the screen and Luhan quickly answered it.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Luhan,” Tao huffed on the other end. “Luhan, have you seen Yixing?”

 

“What, is he still not back from getting coffee? It’s been over two hours now.”

 

Tao didn’t answer right away, still breathing hard on the other end. “Do me a favor and see if he went to the apartment for dinner or something.”

 

“Zitao?” Luhan asked. “Is everything alright?”

 

Luhan could hear Tao suck in a breath. “No, just please check.”

 

“Alright, I’ll go now, it’s dinner time anyways.”

 

The other line went dead a second later and Luhan slipped his phone back in his pocket.

 

“What’s wrong?” Kai asked.

 

Luhan turned to Kai and smiled. “How about we go to my apartment for dinner?”

 

“Y-yeah, yeah, let’s go. Just let me get my makeup off.”

 

They arrived at the apartment an hour later. Apprehension lay heavy in Luhan’s chest. They must have had a fight. Tao had been too chummy with Yixing lately; he was bound to rebound on Yixing soon. The unicorn man was probably at the apartment curled up in either Luhan’s for Tao’s bed. Or maybe he was where he had gone when he had disappeared before.

 

Kai’s hand grabbed his on the elevator, squeezing it hard and Luhan’s chest loosened up for a second.

 

“Relax, you’re more jittery than when I asked to sleep with you the first time,” Kai said.

 

Luhan lowered his head. “Sorry.”

 

The elevator started up. “What’s wrong, _hyung_?”

 

The elevator stopped on their floor. “I don’t know.”

 

Luhan led Kai by their connected hands quickly down the hall. He fumbled with his keys in his hand, sliding it everywhere but in the keyhole. Kai grabbed them away from him and unlocked the door himself. Luhan hurried passed him into the dark apartment. He moved along the wall to the kitchen turning on the lights. No Yixing. No sign he had even been in there since that morning’s breakfast. He moved to his bedroom. Kai followed him and checked the closet and then went out to the bathroom. Yixing wasn’t in Luhan’s bed.

 

“He’s not in the bathroom,” Kai called.

 

Luhan walked slowly to Tao’s bedroom door. He put his hand on the doorknob and cracked it opened. It was dark. He switched on the light. Tao’s bed was neat and flat.

 

When Luhan walked into the living room, Kai was sitting on the couch staring at the black screen of the television. Luhan took a seat beside him. Kai moved his hand to Luhan’s and Luhan grabbed it tight.

 

“Yixing is missing, isn’t that right?” Kai asked.

 

“Yeah,” Luhan stuttered out.

 

“And you don’t know where he could be?”

 

“No.”  
  


“But he could be in danger.”

 

Luhan nodded then turned and buried his face in Kai’s shoulder. He could feel his phone vibrate. Tao? What would he say to Tao? He hadn’t wanted to cry this much for such a long time.

 


	19. “…he just wanted to be silently miserable.”

**Chapter 19 “…he just wanted to be silently miserable.”**

 

            Tao dialed Luhan’s number again. It had been almost three hours since he had argued with Kris and longer since he had actually seen Yixing. He had texted Luhan three times already once he figured his roommate was at the apartment, but he hadn’t picked up. This was the second time he called and Tao was getting worried. Luhan could have been in too much of a hurry and then it would be him that was in danger and not Yixing. The thought made Tao’s stomach tighten even more with anxiety and he accidentally hung up the call before it had even gone to voicemail.

 

Tao’s feet had run him to his office when he saw signs Yixing had been outside Kris’ office. He then tried the shooting area and the sewing rooms, but still no sign of the unicorn man. He had run up and down the stairs for thirty minutes before finally going down to the receptionist. She said she had seen Yixing walk outside and he hadn’t come back since. Tao had hurried to the coffee shop to see if Yixing had gone to buy more coffee after dropping the first cups in the hallway. They hadn’t seen him come back.

 

Now, Tao was loitering in the lobby with his cellphone. Kris had called to ask where he suddenly ran off to. Tao yelled at him that it was none of his business. There was one thing Tao never wanted Kris to know about and that was Yixing. Kris could find out everything about everyone Tao had ever slept with, but he couldn’t know about Yixing being a unicorn. He’d try to take care of it and then Minseok would know. Tao didn’t have anything against the reporter, but he didn’t want the man any deeper into his life. He wanted…he just wanted to be silently miserable. But, if someone was in danger because of it, Tao couldn’t handle that.

 

“Tao? Do you have a headache or something?”

 

Looking up, Tao saw Baekhyun standing in front of him in the lobby, hands stuffed into the pockets of a light, but expensive and oversized jacket that probably wasn’t his. Tao shook his head and straightened his back up.

 

“No, but I’m probably getting one.”

 

Baekhyun hummed. “Stressed out?”

 

“A little more than stressed out, actually. I got into a fight with Kris,” Tao said.

 

Baekhyun made a face and removed one of his hands to pat Tao’s back. “Tough luck there buddy. What did you fight about?”

 

“Lay,” Tao responded. “And my show.”

 

“Your show I can understand, but what about that hobo model?”

 

Tao glared at Baekhyun. “He’s not a hobo. He wasn’t one either.” Tao licked his lips wondering what to tell Baekhyun. “Kris found out we’ve been sleeping together.”

 

Baekhyun frowned. “Like you and me, or?”

 

“I don’t know,” Tao said and ran a hand through his hair. “Not like you and me, he’s in love with me and I just…”

 

Baekhyun’s hand tightened on Tao’s shoulder. “Hey, are you really getting worked up over some guy you’ve known for a month? That’s not like you.”

 

“It’s not like the me you know,” Tao said. “It’s more than that though...did you happened to pass by Lay on your way here?”

 

“Well, I actually had a bone to pick with you about your model. I was supposed to meet someone for coffee that I’ve been hitting on for a while, but I saw him and Lay walking off together. You say you’re in love with him, but he seemed to go with my date just fine.”

 

Tao’s brows furrowed. “Who was your date?”

 

Baekhyun pointed outside toward the café across the street. “That guy in the green that keeps loitering about.”

 

“Shit!” Tao rushed to the front doors and outside. He looked up and down the street then turned back to see Baekhyun had followed him out. “How long ago?”

 

“A couple hours ago. I went waited for the guy to come back for an hour then went and got coffee myself. I saw you go in there, but you looked busy.”

 

Tao grabbed Baekhyun’s shoulders and shook him. “You’re such an idiot!”

 

“Hey, hey,” Baekhyun yelled and grabbed Tao to get him to stop. “What did I do?”

 

“You should have stopped him. That man…that man took Yixing,” Tao said.

 

“Yixing? What do you mean he took him?”

 

Tao’s phone rang and he let go of Baekhyun to answer it.

 

“Zitao?” asked Kai’s voice. He could hear sniffling beside him and checked to see which phone Kai was calling from. Luhan’s.

 

“Did you guys find Yixing?”

 

“He’s not here,” Kai said. “He’s not at any of the stores close by either. Luhan wanted to make sure before telling you.”

 

“Is he crying?” Tao asked.

 

“No,” Kai said, voice soft. “He’s trying hard not to. Do you have any idea where he might be?”

 

“His ex-master took him back.”

 

“I don’t really know what that means, but Luhan looks terrified,” Kai said. “He wants to know if you know where he could have taken Yixing.”

 

Tao glanced over to Baekhyun. “Do you know where that guy is?”

 

“Chen?” Baekhyun asked then started rustling through his pockets. “Yeah, yeah, he gave me tickets. Apparently they finally got the tent back up and they’re doing another show.”

 

Baekhyun handed Tao one of the newly printed tickets and Tao frowned examining it. There was a unicorn in the right hand corner much bigger than the elephant. He went back to the phone.

 

“Kai, tell Luhan to take this address down then meet me a minute after it,” Tao said.

 

After Kai had affirmed they had the address and were on their way, Tao turned to Baekhyun. He pushed the ticket against the hand model’s chest then grabbed his wrist. “You’re coming with me.”

 

“What? Why? You’re being a jerk right now; tell me what’s going on?”

 

Tao hailed a taxi. “Yixing worked in that circus. He was being abused and you just let him be whisked back to his abuser.”

 

Baekhyun pulled his wrist away. “Chen wouldn’t abuse anyone. I talked to him, he’s actually really sweet.”

 

Tao glared at Baekhyun. “He might be sweet, but the man he works for isn’t.” The taxi came and Tao opened the door. “Get in, Baekhyun, and you’ll understand.”

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            It had been years since Tao had traveled so far from the city. He hadn’t been on this long of a drive since he left China. The forty-five minutes out was torturous, every second a new bruise marking Yixing’s skin and Tao would never be able to count how many times the unicorn man was hurt with his unicorn healing powers. Tao wanted to know exactly how many times he needed to kick Chen’s and his boss’ ass. At least Baekhyun’s annoyed fiddling helped to pass the time and occupy Tao from yelling profanities at the cab driver to hurry up. He would pull his phone out of his jacket pocket, tap away on it for a while, then slip it back in only to pull it out again a few minutes later when something outside would break the rolling trees and buildings and make Baekhyun remember he was in the cab not of his own accord, then he would glare at Tao.

 

Luckily, he didn’t talk, talking would only lead to arguing with how much Tao was on edge. Baekhyun was the type that would get out of a moving vehicle if he was mad enough and Tao didn’t want to have to worry about his friend getting raped walking aimlessly back home or getting road rash if he slipped getting out and ended up under someone else’s car. He wasn’t really sure why he had dragged Baekhyun along in the first place. Maybe because he needed someone else to blame for Yixing getting captured, he needed someone else to feel as much of an idiot as he did. If Baekhyun saw Yixing hurt, chained up, he would feel like an idiot even if he hadn’t honestly done anything wrong. He was innocent to what was going on until then.

 

Luhan had called twenty minutes into the ride. His voice was raspy probably from holding back tears. Tao was also unsure of why Luhan would want to cry about the whole thing, he wasn’t much of a crier, but Tao could understand at least. If he didn’t feel so guilty, he might have cried, too. Luhan had told him that he and Kai were already out of the city and he wanted to double check the address. He yelled at Tao for bringing Baekhyun along, but he seemed to be of the same mind of wanting to blame the hand model. They didn’t hate each other, but his roommate and fwb were two different sides of his coin and they just would never be able to see each other face to face.

 

Green grass replaced most of the buildings. Outside the taxi window, Tao could see a faint outline of a circus tent if he squinted, red and yellow stripes bright against the dying grass and brown dirt surrounding it. It wasn’t in the exact place it had been when Tao and Baekhyun first encountered the circus, but it was similar – a place out of the city with enough coverage to hide the animals and to hide themselves. Tao had had the thought that they weren’t a government inspected circus or else Yixing would have failed them right away with his malnourished state or caused an uproar if they left him in his unicorn form. Or maybe the boss man was a persuasive talker.

 

Tao told the cab driver to go another minute down the rode once they passed the circus tent. He could see two figures sitting on the curb a ways up and he rolled down his window as the taxi rolled up to them.

 

“How long have you been here?” Tao asked.

 

“Ten minutes,” Luhan said. “No one’s come out of the tent or around here. I don’t think they would have recognized us anyways, really. Maybe just that guy in the green so it was better we got here first.”

 

Tao nodded in agreement then felt himself pressed to his seat and Baekhyun leaned over him to get to the opened window. “Am I getting out now? I don’t appreciate being dragged around without being told what’s going on.”

 

Luhan rolled his eyes and stood then reached for the taxi door opening it suddenly. Baekhyun almost tumbled out and grabbed onto Tao to keep himself steady. Tao pushed him away and got out first, closing the door in his friend’s face. Baekhyun used the other door, pausing to pay the driver when Tao walked away. He mumbled curses under his breath once he was standing next to Tao on the side walk.

 

“What’s gone down so far?” Tao asked. “Have you seen Yixing?”

 

“No, no one’s come out since we’ve been here. It looks really silent, actually,” Luhan said and moved closer to Kai.

 

Tao looked down the road at the tent and frowned. He started walking and heard the others followed. It wasn’t a performance day according to the tickets Baekhyun had showed him, so that must mean they were still setting up. Setting up required moving about. Unless they were on break or in a meeting, the carnival people should have been moving about.  

 

Upon reaching the circus tent, Tao noticed most everything looked put up. Maybe they really were just resting and this sinister feeling had nothing to do with the circus, but with the fact Tao still didn’t know where Yixing was. Since he was here, he’d search here.

 

“Kai and Luhan, will you go into the tent? They don’t know you, so I’m sure you can make up some kind of lie. Baekhyun and I will check out the cages,” Tao said.

 

Luhan and Kai left to the red and yellow striped tent, hands clasped in each others without a word. Baekhyun moved closer to Tao and frowned.

 

“Isn’t this Lay or Yixing or whatever a handful? Why don’t we just let him be here if he wants to work for someone that abuses him,” Baekhyun said.

 

Tao shot him a glare. “He doesn’t want to work here, and he’s worth the handful.”

 

Baekhyun raised a brow. “Why?”

 

Why? That was a good question. Because he was important to Tao’s success? Maybe a little more than that.

 

Tao didn’t answer and just pulled Baekhyun along to the cages. He crept around quietly, but continuously had to turn around to hiss at Baekhyun to be quiet eventually just telling him to take a full circle around the cages and not get caught. He moved by himself between the actually wheels and poles with goats and other creatures chained up to them. He heard neighing and stopped.

 

Neighing meant horses.

 

The unicorn’s girlfriends.

 

Tao hurried over to the sound, slinking past a sleeping clown by a cage with a long feline form inside. The white horses from before stood in a large cage nibbling on hay and neighing here and there as they flipped their long manes. There didn’t seem to be any room in the cage for a man better yet another entire horse. The very back of the cage had a piece of plywood nailed up just below the height of one of the horses’ heads and he moved along the bars toward it. A six by six area boarded up at the end of the cage with only to top giving the space any air. Tao frowned and tapped the wood. No sound. He found a small slot big enough to slide food into in the back and lowered his head to peak inside. There were metal loops on the walls and chains connected to them. The hay was new looking, but it still smelled like manure and grass, like how Yixing had smelled the first time Tao had met him.

 

It made him angry, both the fact Yixing wasn’t here and that this was the condition he had been since being kidnapped by the circus.

 

Tao looked around for something to break the boxed in area with. An ax or even a pole. He wanted it gone. He wanted this circus gone. He found a large stick lying against the cage beside the horses’ and had barely wrapped his hand around its middle when Baekhyun came running up to him out of breath.

 

“I…I saw him. Luhan and Kai saw him too, but they can’t get to him.”

 

Tao clenched the pole tighter in his hand and stared hard passed Baekhyun. “Show me.”

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

 

            They were all inside the tent having a meeting of sorts. Tao glared at the scene from his place hanging from one of the poles that stuck out of the tent and peaking under one of the flaps. Luhan and Kai had started to walk into the tent, but were escorted out before they could really see anything. Baekhyun had ran into them and then checked under the tent before running to find Tao. He had seen Yixing and now Tao could see Yixing in the middle of all those benches scattered with the circus people. He was chained up on some ring that Tao could barely place as one of the rings used with the big cats in their performances. He was chained and a lady stood beside him with a whip. The ring leader stood a little farther away, his green blazer giving him away right away. And then there was the man in hot pink pumps, the clothes switching tight rope walker.

 

Tao could see everything and it pissed him off.

 

“Sorry about the disturbance, comrades, we’ll continue on with our business now,” the tight rope walker said and approached Yixing. He grabbed Yixing’s hair and lifted his head to look at him and Tao had to grit his teeth to keep his balance on the pole. No one was supposed to touch Yixing without his permission.

 

“Where were we?” the tight rope walker said. “Right, explaining what happens when you run away from the circus.” He pushed Yixing’s head away and focused back on he crowd. “You know the rules, I tell them to you when you join. You only leave this circus for family, illness, or death. This one left to go pursue, what was it again Chen?”

 

The ring leader cleared his throat. “Modeling, boss.”

 

Boss. So he was the ass Tao was going to beat. Tao had no problem fighting someone in heels.

 

The tight rope walker laughed. “Modeling, that’s even worse than a circus. Can you all imagine, putting on someone else’s clothes and taking pictures, a doll for money.”

 

The crowd murmured and laughed with their boss.

 

The tight rope walker turned back to Yixing. “How could you pursue something like that when you were a star here?”

 

Yixing spit at the man’s pumps then lifted his head. “I never wanted to be here, you tricked me.”

 

“Ana!” the tight rope walker yelled. The lady with the whip cracked it across Yixing’s stomach and Tao’s stomach did a flip of it’s own at the pained sound Yixing let out. “Come now, haven’t I hurt you enough already? You have to realize this is the best place for you. You can’t go living like a normal human being.”

 

“I can,” Yixing protested and spit again. Tao thought there might have been some blood in it this time with the scratchiness of it, but he was much too far away to see.  

 

“You can’t if your master says you can’t,” the boss said. “Chen.”

 

The ringleader walked to his boss’ side.

 

“Chen’s not my master anymore,” Yixing said. “You can’t use him to control me anymore.”

 

Tao thought he could see the boss grinning. “Oh yes, I saw that pretty little necklace around your neck, but we’ll fix that.”

 

The ringleader suddenly pulled a chain out of his pocket. It looked more like a bridle actually and Tao glared at it.

 

“No!” Yixing yelled and started thrashing.

 

“Ana! Get him still.”

 

The women started lashing out again with her whip and Tao couldn’t handle it anymore. He gave the signal down to Luhan and then slipped under the flap, falling, falling into the tent. He landed a bit away on his butt. He laid there taking in the light shock of hitting the hay covered floor and could hear some of the circus people running about, running out.

 

“Who’s there?” asked the boss.

 

Tao moved his hands palms down above his head and planted his feet onto the ground before flipping off and getting on his feet. He looked around and his eyes landed on the woman with the whip. He started to approach her quickly. She looked nervous and kept glancing at the boss.

 

“Get him,” the tight rope walker said. But, by then, Tao was already close enough to rush under her lash and grab her arm, twisting it until she dropped the whip. He picked it up and kicked her away.

 

Tao had never used a whip as an actual weapon, he was a stiff weapon man, sharp swords and strong poles, but he figured as long as he did it harder than was pleasurable it would hurt. He held it confidently and moved to stand at the ring Yixing was chained up to in an x formation then turned and grinned at the ringleader and the boss.

 

“Who are you?” the tight rope walker asked.

 

Tao looked down and his grin turned into a smile seeing Yixing looking up at him in wonderment. “I’m this one’s new master and I’m here to take him back.”

 

“You?” the tight rope walker laughed. “I remember you. To think you would start a fire just to steal my unicorn.”

 

Tao laughed. “I didn’t want a unicorn and I would never start a fire.”

 

“I don’t want him, then just give him to us and don’t bother rescuing him.”

 

“I said I didn’t want him, but I want him now,” Tao said and cracked the whip. It was a little lack luster and he gulped seeing it lay limply on the ground. So much for being a dominatrix.

 

The ring leader laughed and approached him pulling out what looked like a dagger.

 

Tao waved the whip on the ground like a snake. “I wouldn’t threaten me if I was you. Police will be here in two minutes. I had them on standby until I dropped in.”

 

At the mention of the police the other circus people started to rush out of the tent. Chen looked around seeming nervous before dropping the chain and fleeing as well. That left just Tao and the boss along with a few stray women, one being the tight rope walker’s partner, huddled scared in a corner. One of them had a pole. Tao’s eyes locked on it then glanced at the boss and his dagger. He started walking backwards to their direction.  

 

The boss followed spinning his dagger around in his hand and grinning at Tao. “Boy, I don’t know who you are, but I worked way too hard capturing that unicorn to let you just fall in here and steal him.”

 

Tao glared. “And I’ve worked way too hard to let a once in a life time chance pass by. You’re not getting him and you’re not getting away and on top of that, you’re going to get your ass beaten.”

 

“Hah, right, after you’ve gotten a few holes filled with your own blood.”

 

He threw the dagger at Tao. Tao jumped and flipped back landing on the bleachers not as steady as he would have liked. He started to run straight for the women and flipped again, over them, grabbing the pole as he went.

 

“I don’t mind my holes being filled, but I prefer seamen,” Tao said and got into position.

 

“You’re something, boy,” the tight rope walker said then pulled out more daggers. “If you weren’t such a pain in the ass I’d ask you to join us.”

 

He threw them at once at Tao and Tao barely blocked them with the pole. There were sirens now in the background and Tao used the second of distraction to rush on the tight rope walker smacking him first over the head then on his chest as he fell to the floor.

 

“Tao!” Yixing yelled.

 

Tao looked back to see the unicorn man yanking urgently on his chains.

 

“He has the keys, hurry.”

 

Tao looked down and saw the silver keys spilling out of the boss’ pocket. He leaned down and grabbed them. He took one step away and then too back and lifted a leg back to kick hard into the tight rope walker’s side.

 

“That was for my unicorn’s other bruises, you bastard.


	20. “…, he would bleed, right?...”

**Chapter 20 “…, he would bleed, right?...”**

 

            Tao sent Baekhyun home with Luhan and Kai. He stayed back to answer the police’s question. Kidnapping charges would be placed on the tight rope walker and when asked for a more detailed account of what happened, Tao blocked Yixing’s answers. He was his manager; he was in charge of covering up incidents that had to do with his model. One of their workers liked the coffee place across from _Ace’s_ , Tao explained, he had took a couple of paparazzi photos of their new models and showed it to his boss who had gotten obsessed with Lay and tried to kidnap him. He didn’t mention that Yixing had worked for the carnival, and he over heard the tight rope walker’s partner stumbling through explaining Yixing was part of their old show. A unicorn. The police wouldn’t let them close enough to prove it.

 

An ambulance was sent over, but by then most of Yixing’s wounds were healed up. They couldn’t charge aggravated assault charges because there weren’t any real signs, just minor assault. Tao refused to charge anything in his own name. The kidnapping would bring attention to the model Lay, which would bring more fans, and probably put Kai in a gloomy mood, but Tao didn’t need his name anywhere on there. A model getting kidnapped was big news, a designer…well they’d just say ‘that damn homo deserved it’ or at least those still in that mind and there were a lot of them in such a big country. Better they be so far spread out than your next door neighbor or own father.

 

They sat in the back of the police car instead of taking a taxi. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Tao’s first time in the back of a police car, a fight in his freshmen year had almost got him kicked out of the university and Kris and he had their first big fight since they broke up. He had had his hands handcuffed behind his back while the other guy sat in the back of another police guy trying to stay conscious. One of the policemen asked how Tao had saved Yixing. I use too do martial arts, was a simple reply and the other cop driving stopped giving them disgusted looks from the mirror. Tao guessed knowing how to kick another man’s ass got you out of the gaydar of ‘straight’ men. Tao thought it was a bunch of crap and he really didn’t need that part of his life causing him problems right now when his palms were still sweaty and breaths still heavy, images of Yixing chained to that ring flashing in his mind. His heart hurt, it hurt so much.

 

They arrived in front of the apartment with Tao still staring out the window at his memories. The policeman in the passenger seat got out and knocked on his door before opening it. Tao unfurled himself from the car and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He took a few steps and stared up at their apartment window from where he stood. It was black. Luhan probably went to Kai’s place. Yixing exchanged a few words with the policeman then stood beside him. The light touch of his fingers against Tao’s wrists after the police car had gone urged Tao onwards into the apartment.

 

A few curious tenets stopped and stared at them probably having seen the police car. Tao took long strides to the elevator, glancing behind him just to make sure Yixing was following him. In the elevator, he kept Yixing in front of him, watching the unicorn man’s back. When the elevator got to their floor and Yixing moved to step out of the sliding doors, Tao grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. Yixing turned with surprised eyes to him and they stared at each other until the doors started closing. Tao looked away first and moved to press the opened button then pulled Yixing out after him.

 

“Zitao?”

 

Tao ignored Yixing and quickly pulled out his keys unlocking the door with one hand. He swung Yixing inside the apartment and slammed the door shut and locked after himself. Tao rested his head against the doorframe still holding to the knob.

 

“Zitao?” Yixing asked again.

 

Tao took a deep breath and finally looked at Yixing again. “Yixing…I…” He paused and looked around. He caught sight of the bathroom door wide opened and then looked back at Yixing. “Your bruises.”

 

Yixing held out his arms and show Tao his wrists. Clean pure white skin glimmered there. “All gone.”

 

Another sigh escaped Tao and he lifted a hand to the back of his neck then winced. Yixing was immediately in front of him, hovering around him. He reached around Tao’s collar and pulled the back of his shirt from his neck. “You’re bruised. You shouldn’t have jumped like that.”

 

“I thought I could take it,” Tao said.

 

“You’re a normal human. You should have let the medic check you out as well.”

 

Tao shook his head and pushed Yixing away. “I didn’t need them insisting I press assault charges on the guy, too.”

 

Yixing grabbed Tao’s hand suddenly and pulled him to the kitchen. He let go of it and grabbed a paper towel wetting it in the sink them opened one of the cabinets and pulled out a thing of sea salt. He soaked the wet towel with the salt then grabbed from Tao’s shirt.

 

“Take it off,” Yixing said.

 

Tao tried to fight him. “Why? What’s that for?”

 

“Your bruise and I need to see if you have more. Take it off,” Yixing said and finally succeeded in slipping Tao’s shirt from his body.

 

He smiled happy in his victory and Tao used the opportunity to grab Yixing’s wrists. Yixing dropped the towel, but his eyes stayed blinking at Tao’s face. His lips moved as if about to say something, probably his name. Tao leaned forward and rendered them silent against his own. Yixing let out a surprised gasp and took a step back. Tao let go of one of Yixing’s wrists to grab his waist and moved Yixing back until they hit the other side of the kitchen, Yixing’s butt against a free counter. He kissed the unicorn man hard and desperately. He needed to make sure he was there, that he was real. It was the first time Tao wanted Yixing to be real, this unicorn man, this muse. His hands moved under Yixing’s shirt to feel his soft skin. Soft skin, flesh, and if he was to run the blade of one of his wushu swords he kept in the back of his closet down it, he would bleed red, right?, even for just the few seconds it took for the wound to heal.

 

Magic was real.

 

So maybe real love was, too.

 

Tao pulled away and dropped his head to Yixing’s chest. He had both arms wrapped around Yixing’s middle and after a few seconds; Yixing leaned over him, holding him in place, protecting him softly like a child.

 

“Stop letting other people touch you,” Tao said. His voice was itchy, but he denied that he was close to tears.

 

“I’m sorry,” Yixing said softly.

 

“I don’t want to.” His fist moved from under Yixing’s shirt and clutched the fabric over top of it. “I don’t want to.”

 

Yixing’s hand lightly rubbed the low of Tao’s back. It felt a little soar and he wondered if he’d sprained it a little jumping from the top of the tent. “I’m sorry, I know you don’t.”

 

Tao slid down, knees on the cold tile floor. He nuzzled his nose deep into Yixing’s stomach and closed his eyes. “You’re like hot glue, you keep sticking to me and it hurts, but it hurts so much more to pull you off.”

 

He was broken, but he didn’t want to break more.

 

“You’re trying to mend me.”

 

Yixing’s lips moved against his hair. “Hot glue can’t fix anything until it’s heated up.”

 

Tao was sure he’d already heated Yixing up many many times.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

 

            Luhan had never been to Baekhyun’s place. He was surprised to know the hand model actually lived in a pretty high class apartment not far from _Ace’s_ which would explain how he so easily dropped by all the time. Baekhyun wasn’t particularly known for his face even if he wasn’t ugly by any means, but without seeing it in magazines and on billboards, Luhan had taken for granted just how popular Baekhyun actually was. Looking at his hands typing away at his phone squished between Baekhyun and Kai, Luhan had been able to match those long thing white fingers with two sets of posters shadowed in the dying day sky on jewelry stores and a billboard for women’s perfume as they entered the city.

 

A couple times it seemed as if Baekhyun wanted to ask them about what had happened. He would turn and then Luhan would have to look away from his studying as not to get caught. Instead, he would be met with Kai’s heated gaze, a gaze he knew well by know meant rising jealousy. Each time he met Kai’s eyes, heat would rise in himself, a sort of uncomfortable crawling of fire bugs under his skin and a twisting low in his stomach and he started studying Baekhyun less and less.

 

By the time they reached Baekhyun’s apartment, sexual tension was thick in the back of the police car. Baekhyun quickly crawled out the moment their police escort opened the door for them and hurried inside giving Luhan and disgusted but humored sneer. Luhan licked his lips and immediately scooted to take over Baekhyun seat, barely missing Kai’s hand that reached out to pull him back. The cop got back in the car and Luhan saw him glance back in the rearview mirror. He looked a bit concerned and Luhan didn’t have to look beside himself to know that Kai was staring bluntly at Luhan with that jealous possessiveness he found sexy and cute and maybe just a bit scary.

 

(Scary because in their one month of dating, Kai had never actually gotten angry out of jealousy, he just got horny and it was either hard, rough, and left Luhan sweetly soar for the next forty-eight hours, or multi-early-orgasmically sweet.)

 

Luhan wasn’t sure which one would make him lucky as he would ‘get lucky’ either way, but the way Kai grabbed Luhan’s hand in a soft but firm manner when they reached Kai’s apartment confirmed that Luhan would be blushing and covered in cum before Kai had even entered him.

 

He was kissing him before the cop car had even fully pulled away. One hand was held firm to Luhan’s and the other wrapped around his waist as he attacked Luhan in close lid sweet kisses. With the scare of Yixing’s kidnapping and Tao’s possible breakdown still fresh in his system, the kisses left him light headed and breathless. If he had been a weaker man, Luhan might have collapsed against Kai. Instead, he just muttered a complaint about kissing in public and lightly hit Kai’s shoulder when his younger boyfriend looked like he was about to play prince to Luhan’s princess fatigue. Being carried when he was still plenty conscious would be too embarrassing added on top of what he knew Kai was going to do to him.

 

Luhan was dragged up to Kai’s apartment. The bachelor pad that once looked unlived in now had a few things that matched Kai’s personality and maybe a bit of Luhan’s, too, like the jacket hung over the back of Kai’s more-comfortable-than-mine couch and the socks Luhan thought he had lost rolled up in a corner near the kitchen door. He wasn’t really sure when they had gotten there. Did they have sex near the kitchen? He didn’t have much time to contemplate when Kai pulled him quickly and through him on the bed. Luhan welcomed the impact of the soft downy mattress against his back. Honestly, Luhan loved Kai’s bed; it was like heaven especially wrapped up in Kai’s warm arms nuzzling into his chest. And his sheets always smelled like chocolate. Kai said it was because he had a cleaning lady that left hotel chocolates on all the beds in the apartments she cleaned. Luhan had a hard time believing such a strong scent could come from that. (Luhan had the assumption that Kai actually sprayed himself with really expensive teen perfume—chocolate flavored—but he hadn’t had enough time out of Kai’s grasp to snoop around for it).

 

Kai was above Luhan, naked, before Luhan could think of what placed he hadn’t seen that could possibly be hiding chocolate perfume. All that pale gold skin stretched over dancer muscle left Luhan’s mind numb and mouth watering. He immediately reached out and brought Kai down for a kiss, sucking on the other’s thick lips. Static flowed between their lips zapping Luhan’s veins down to his heart. He needed to be loved, needed to know there was at least a smidgen of it in the real world from the pure sadness seeing Tao broken would bring him. After that night, he wasn’t sure what his roommate was doing and even if he hadn’t known Tao as long as Kris had known him, he knew parts of him that their boss would never be able to understand. Tao wasn’t Luhan’s little brother, but more like a cousin or the neighbor’s kid you grew fond of because you went to school together and took the same route at the same time every day. Tao was someone Luhan cared about. He often wished they had met in China when they both lived there. But, maybe he would have been able to save Tao from heartbreak and Yixing would still be stuck in an abusive circus.

 

Luhan was naked in seconds, lying beneath Kai as the younger man kissed and sucked Luhan’s pales skin, inch by inch, lower and lower. He lapped slow licks over Luhan’s nipples, seventeen on each. Luhan’s nails raked his shoulders when Kai paid special attention to his ticklish spots as he tried to decide whether he was in pain or pleasure from the feeling and he came once before Kai even reached his penis. He came again in Kai’s mouth after thirty quick tongue slurping, sucking, up and down movement between Kai’s lips and had to pull his own hair when Kai’s tongue began to stretch him, lips sucking at the skin on his butt and he would kick Kai, he sore, if there was any sort of heart shaped hickey down there in the morning. (He had left one on his neck last week along with a few others across his body that looked like attempts at making a heart. Luhan wasn’t really fond of the idea of using his body to make hickey art even if that did sound impressive.)

 

When Kai entered Luhan finally, he was surprised. Luhan had just started to calm down from the teasing of Kai’s tongue and fingers and thought maybe he could catch his breath and then get a warning. It wasn’t unwelcome and Kai slid in a lot easier with Luhan’s walls off guard. He slid against that spot and Luhan keened. He reached up and grabbed Kai’s shoulders bringing him down, swiveling his hips to get Kai to move. The young man did after watching Luhan fight to tell what he wanted and after kissing along Luhan’s neck as if to calm him, but that only made Luhan want it more. The first couple of thrusts were more awkward than pleasurable, but that was expected and Luhan moved his hips to get the right friction. Kai was quick to find it and though Luhan hated to admit it, he just let his body submit to the younger man, everything but his mouth that constantly demanded more and more and harder damn it.

 

Luhan came how he usually expected to when Kai was a stupid sweet kissing tease—prolonged, but before he really wanted to. He laid flat on the bed looking at Kai’s pale gold sexy face glisten with small glitters of sweat, looking at his dark chocolate eyes, melting into Luhan and giving that after sex buzz a surge of sweet tingles. Kai’s eyes closed and his lips parted to let out a deep groan and Luhan felt him spill into him, condom having been forgotten more than once in their haste because Luhan was clean and Kai said he hadn’t gone without one since his high school years. When Kai’s eyes opened he stared down at Luhan with a much softer look that inflated Luhan’s heart. His eyes came closer and closer and disappeared as he buried his face into Luhan’s hair and whispered words that made his heart explode.  

 

_I love you._

 

For five seconds, Luhan really couldn’t care about anyone else’s happiness.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

 

            Tao was anything but happy at the moment. He couldn’t understand how the preparations for fashion shows never went the way you wanted them to. Yixing was perfectly set up sitting in his makeup chair with his pink eye shadow and light foundation, bangs pushed dramatically to one side, but he was the only one done and that was because Tao did it all himself as an example of what he wanted with the small team of amateur makeup artists Kris hired. “They need opportunities, too,” Kris had said and Tao could only frown as Minseok suddenly showed up backstage with sunglasses way too big for his face. Tao thought he looked like bumble bee or maybe a ladybug with his newly dyed red-brown hair. Kris had said something along the lines of ‘cute’ seeing his fiancé and Tao had just rolled his eyes.

 

Kai had his makeup on, too, hair getting jelled and pushed back so all his young sex appeal was revealed. Tao was relieved at least his two main male models were ready to go into quick change at any moment. He couldn’t say the same about the French model he had hired. She had called twice in the week to threaten to cancel if this or that weren’t done. She even demanded a bowl of only yellow m&ms be placed at here makeup seat. Tao wasn’t sure if it was because she thought she was someone important or if it she had hard feelings over Luhan showing off the fact he was dating Kai.

 

Which reminded Tao he had a bone to pick with Luhan. He had specifically told him and Kai not to engage in any sort of sexual activities for twenty-four hours before the show and what does he walk into when running around to find Kai to do his makeup? Luhan on his knees in a closet sucking the model off. Luckily Tao didn’t have time to argue with him and just told them to hurry then stood outside the door until Kai came out. Luhan stayed inside and Tao hadn’t really seen him since, probably caught up in his other duties as manager.

 

By the time the show actually began, Tao had to have the hair stylist fix his own hair as he kept touching it in frustration. The music started and out walked some of the lesser models all long legged and straight backed. They walked down a long white strip with minimalist budding white trees decorating the catwalk. The back drop was a large LCD board playing swirling almost calligraphy like patterns occasionally switching to a darker version of the same. Tao thought they could have done a bit better, but at least it wasn’t over done and added attention to his flowy, but fitting designs. 

 

Toward the middle, Kai and Yixing finally came out with their first outfits. Kai first in the gold-gray faded leopard print jeans that decorated the posters and then Yixing in an off-pink blouse that was opened at the neck showing his collarbone with jeans in white similar to Kai’s. After them came the French model who actually looked decent once on the runway and Tao remembered why he had chosen her. Her delicate frame matched the light pink faded leopard print dress in the sweet way he had envisioned, but she was tall which added some strength to the design as well, like the corseted back that offset the delicate fabric of the rest of the dress.

 

At the end they came out again, this time Yixing wearing a light jacket over a tank top in the print and then brown canvas short pants. Kai came out in a half sleeve dark blue printed shirt, fitted on his chest and looser at his waist with dark jeans. And the girl behind them in Tao’s runway only outfit, a long dress with strands of material and a scruffy one shoulder sleeve, outrageous, but still decent for the show. They all stood at the front together for a moment under the bright lights and cameras flashed in rapid procession. They walked back and stood at the back of the catwalk and the other models made a procession out before walking onto a bleacher behind revealed behind the LCD screen that was pulled away when they walked.

 

Overall, Tao was content with his show.

 

He overheard someone comment ‘like a fairytale’ when he came out on stage at the end to bow to the crowd.

 

Tao wasn’t sure if you could call something that was real a fairytale.


	21. “…because we’re family.”

**Chapter 21 “…because we’re family.”**

 

            There was an after party in the reception area where they had the show that Tao spent the majority of the time standing close to the entrance where early arrivals and people just entering could find him and congratulate him, or even make critiques of his work. They were more famous designers than Tao and so he just gritted his teeth and took what he could from the criticism. The models finally showed up and he waited until then to move into the throng of people sipping champagne and only half listening to the band on stage. He found Yixing in the mist of a group of other models, blinking blankly at them, but answering just fine, even getting a few laughs which he seemed surprised by. It was good for Yixing to get along with other models, but Tao didn’t like him being the center of attention off the catwalk. He needed to stay by Tao’s side or someone might slip that white gold necklace that laid obvious around Yixing’s neck, hexagon pendent showing between his collarbones, revealed by the loose shirt he was still wearing from the show, a shirt Tao had gifted him with and wondered if perhaps he should have given him the pants instead and donned him in a turtle neck.

 

Before Tao could interrupt the models’ merry conversation, Tao’s wrist was grabbed and he was pulled away. Tao blinked a couple times as he stumbled back before turning and glaring at whoever had grabbed him. He lowered his head seeing who it was and glared at the floor instead.

 

Kris dragged him backstage where only workers still loitered about between the black curtains and the beams high above their heads. He crossed his arms and stared at Tao until Tao became uncomfortable, scuffed his foot on the dusty floor and matched his stance. He knew Kris would eventually come up to talk to him about the show. Either Kris would absolutely  hate it, or he would critique it and tell Tao to work on loosing his accent a bit more if he was going to be yelling at the other, older, American, designers in _Ace’s_. After a few minutes of silence, Tao peaked up at Kris.

 

“You want to know what I want, right?” Kris asked.

 

Tao licked his lips and straightened up, moving his arms from across his chest to sticking out as he held them on his hips. “That among other things.”

 

“I have two things to discuss with you and it has to be right now because I leave for a business trip tomorrow noon and I’m expecting that you will be taking half the day off tomorrow if not the whole day,” Kris said.

 

Tao nodded. “You would be corrected. I’m getting plastered after this with some real alcohol.”

 

“Yes, because champagne is much too girly for you,” Kris said and rolled his eyes at Tao. He uncrossed his arms and ran a hand through his flat golden hair. His roots were starting to show in their natural black, Tao noted. “First off, congratulations on the successful show; I wasn’t really sure how you would pull something with such an innocent theme off, but I think it worked in your favor. I know you can make hardcore clothes, but it was nice to see some lighter designs like you use to make in China.”

 

Warmth spread in Tao’s chest. He was happy because Kris was praising him, no, because Kris was praising his designs which he had worked hard on, harder than he had since the first portfolio he made to enter college in America. But still, that didn’t mean Kris was giving him the job.

 

“So, since you were successful, you get the job under one condition,” Kris said.

 

He got the job? Tao grinned and leaned forward. “I have to loose the accent?”

 

“No, I haven’t even lost mine fully. I want you to do something about Lay. He was great out there, but I can’t have my top designer so wishy washy with someone that’s so important to his work. If you guys aren’t dating seriously, then I’ll help you get him an apartment and you have to stop sleeping with him. I don’t like relationships within the company. I know Kai and Luhan are serious, but I know how you feel. If you want to pine after someone you can’t have in that way, no matter how much I want to help you, I can’t. I know that now, but I can help someone else that’s pining after you. Do you understand me, Tao?”

 

Tao was shocked. He hadn’t seen this serious of a look on Kris’ face directed at Tao since they were kids, since Tao was too young to know he had a crush on Kris and had on purposely accidentally hit a girl who was flirting with Kris in the face with his wushu stick when getting picked up from practice by Kris. It made him feel like such a child and he felt bitter about it. It was like getting scolded by the big brother you admired so much because he got tired of you following him around. That was exactly what it was.

 

Kris was his elder brother.

 

Tao felt his stomach drop and he swallowed hard.

 

“Kris,” a voice called and Tao took any excuse he could to look away from Kris. Minseok happily walked up to them, hands behind his back. He looked at Kris first with a smile then at Tao, smile going softer.

 

“Did you need something?” Kris asked, a hand moving so naturally to Minseok’s arm.  

 

“Someone from another company was looking for you. They recognized me as your fiancé and tried to ask a bunch of questions, but you know I’m bad with business talk,” Minseok said.

 

“Right, um, Tao, think about it and we’ll speak when I get back from the trip,” Kris said and turned to leave.

 

Minseok stayed back and called to Kris. “I’ll meet you in a minute; I want to congratulate the designer.”

 

They waited until Kris was completely gone then Minseok turned and reached out to pat Tao on the shoulder. “Congratulations on the show. All the clothes looked great and the models looked great and the set looked great. I’m not much of a fashion guru, but it all looked really great.”

 

“You’re not going to write the article on it?” Tao asked.

 

Minseok shook his head. “No, I’m not allowed to write on anything about _Ace’s_ unless Kris specifically asks the magazine that I do and then they have to take into consideration whether they think the bias would be good or bad for the article and blah, blah, blah. I actually wanted to say something else.”

 

“Yeah, what?”

 

Minseok smiled and rocked on his heels. “I have a lot to thank you for. Thank you for being the driving force that brought Kris to America. Thank you for giving him the talent he needed to make his company a success. Thank you for making his dream come true. Without you, I don’t think he could have done it seeing as Yifan really can’t draw. That’s one thing I know I couldn’t have done for him.”

 

Tao shifted feeling uncomfortable. “Getting married was something he dreamed about, too.”

 

Minseok laughed softly. “Yeah, maybe, but I want to thank you for letting me have him. Ex’s can sometimes be a real pain in the butt. I had a problem with a few guys who wanted to kill me for dating their ex-girlfriends, it was really scary. I know how much you want to be with Kris. He’s really important to you, but thank you for not hating me. You’ve done so much for him, but I’m too selfish to give him to you and I don’t think he would like that.”

 

Tao chuckled. Selfish. “I can’t hate you, you’re too nice. Even before you started dating Kris I liked you. I’m the one that introduced you two. I just want him to be happy, and that’s the one thing _I_ can’t give him. I can give him success and comfort, but I can’t give him _that_ because we’re family. Just…family.”

 

“Tao…don’t cry,” Minseok said.

 

Tao reached a hand up to his cheeks. Tears. It had been a while since he cried so easily. He used to be such a crybaby until college. “I’m sorry, I just…”

 

Minseok took a step forward and Tao was suddenly enveloped into the shorter man’s arms and pressed against his small soft stature. Tao laid his head on Minseok’s shoulder, arms hanging limp at his sides. Minseok just pat his back. He smelt like champagne and sweet cologne and he felt a bit like a sister would if Tao had one. Sister-in-law. He wondered how Minseok would react if he started calling him that after the wedding.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

 

            It was after two when Tao stumbled into _EXO Planet._ The after party had gone on a lot longer than Tao had anticipated and maybe that was partly his fault being all chirper and Mr. Butterfly with everyone so as not to search out Yixing or think about what he and Minseok had talked about after he was done crying. Luhan and Kai had left the party at midnight like Cinderella running from the ball with her prince chasing after with sexual tension at their heels. When he did catch sight of Yixing, Tao pulled him out and made sure he got on a taxi safely then stared at his phone until Yixing called to say he was going to bed.

 

He drank too much champagne and that was when he decided to opt out of the after-after party at the club and made his way into _EXO Planet_ tipsy and with a headache. Kyungsoo was cleaning up a messy table vigorously with a towel and Tao watched his butt jiggle for a minute then laughed half understanding why Junmyeon owned a whip. The manager was at the bar wiping out glasses. He looked up surprised to see Tao then smiled. Tao slid into a bar stool and laid his head on the counter.

 

“You’re drunk,” Junmyeon said.

 

“I’m tipsy, too much champagne. I need something hard too get the taste out of my mouth.”

 

“I thought you liked sweet,” Junmyeon said and turned to prepare Tao’s usual.

 

“Not in alcohol.” Tao moved his head so he could look at Junmyeon as he made the drink. “I invited you to the show.”

 

“I went. I thought it was well done, but I had to come back. Congratulations.”

 

Junmyeon finished making his drink and tapped it down on the counter at Tao’s head. Tao asked for a straw and Junmyeon connected a few together to make a long one Tao could sip from while still laying his head down on the counter.

 

“You don’t seem very happy for such a success.”

 

Tao sighed. “I have a lot to think about.”

 

“And?”

 

“And wouldn’t you be down if something you didn’t want to happen happened anyways?”

 

“Yeah, I’d feel pretty lost. What happened?”

 

Tao just gave Junmyeon a side way glance then went back to drinking from the long straw with his head on the counter. He felt like a little kid, it was kind of nice.

 

“Ah, I see,” Junmyeon said and patted his head. “Why don’t you go home then?”

 

“I planned to get plastered. I still plan to get plastered. I’ll deal with him when I have a hangover.”

 

“Because you’re less stubborn then?”

 

“Yeah.” Tao could hear his straw scratch the bottom of his glass now empty.

 

Junmyeon gave him another refill then moved from the counter to bother Kyungsoo. Tao could hear them flirting behind him, but just stared blankly at the bar counter door from his sideways position parallel with the counter and sipped from the straw. He didn’t know how to deal with himself. He couldn’t really deny it anymore, but there was a part of him that still wanted to deny himself from having it.

 

It’d make Kris happy.

 

His brother.

 

Tao’s stomach curled in on itself. He wasn’t use to thinking of Kris as only his brother. When had he stopped being in love with the older guy?

 

“Can I help you?”

 

“Huh, oh, a scotch sounds could,” said a voice that made Tao shoot his head up headache been damned.

 

He turned to see the ringleader, still dressed in green but not so much standing out, walking toward the bar. He took a seat next to Tao then turned and smiled at him.

 

“You,” Tao started, but the ringleader held up a hand.

 

“Jongdae, or Chen, either’s fine. I’m not ringleader anymore, but I will admit to having followed you in here.”

 

Junmyeon stopped pouring the scotch and raised a brow at Tao. “Do I need to kick him out?”

 

Tao studied ‘Chen’. “I’m not sure yet. Why did you follow me, Yixing’s not here?”

 

“I came to talk to you about Yixing, not get him back.” Junmyeon finally handed over the scotch to Chen and Chen raised it in a thank you manner before taking a sip. “I was that kid that ran away from home to join the circus. I actually wanted to be a singing magician, but I kind of just got caught up in it all. I didn’t know our new boss would treat Lay so badly when I agreed to capture him. I thought we’d treat him as more than human. I’m glad he found somewhere else to be because even if I didn’t act on it, I loved him like a Master loves a pet, not that he was a pet. And I think some part of him could see I meant him no harm and he loved me, too, of course not the way he loves you. When we captured him again, he did say he was in love with his master.”

 

Chen gave Tao a studying look. Tao pulled out the straw and sipped his drink straight from the glance then held it out to Junmyeon for another.

 

“This is your last one then I’m giving you watered down stuff,” Junmyeon said.

 

“I don’t care if you mix it up, just get me drunk,” Tao said then turned back to Chen. “I know he’s in love with me. He was in love with me before I was his master. I know that.”

 

“Then will you love him back?” Chen asked.

 

Tao paused. He didn’t want to answer that. He wasn’t drunk yet.

 

Chen sighed. “If he’s troublesome, give him back to me. I was thinking of going to China or Korea if things with your friend down work out. I’ll let him free.”

 

Free. Tao drank his next glass slowly, easing the sudden tightness in his chest. No, no, he definitely couldn’t let Yixing free. “You’re dating Baekhyun.”

 

Chen laughed. “It’s been a while since I’ve slept with someone who wasn’t a carnie. He seems like he could use someone with magic fingers.”

 

Tao returned the laugh. “We both could use some magic in general.”

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            Kai kept massaging Luhan’s knee as they sat together on the couch with Yixing and some other models. He hadn’t noticed how funny Yixing actually was and Yixing seemed to not understand it himself with the surprised look he kept throwing around every time the models laughed at something he said. It was a good thing though. Luhan was glad Yixing was getting a good holding in this society. As long as that necklace wasn’t taken off, Yixing was just another person with good looks.

 

“Hey,” Kai said and leaned in to whisper into Luhan’s ear, “stop staring at him and stare at me. I looked pretty handsome up there, too, right?”

 

Luhan turned and smiled at Kai, a hand lifting to pat his cheek. “Of course you were handsome, you’re always handsome. I was just thinking how well Lay did for his first time. It wasn’t your first time on a catwalk, I saw those videos.”

 

Kai grinned. “Did you jack off to them?”

 

Luhan blushed and looked away. Yixing was engrossed in a conversation about lilies with one of the girl models. He seemed to know a lot about flowers and Luhan thought perhaps they should get some for the apartment. He’d have to tell Tao about it. Even if his roommate never admitted it, Luhan knew Tao at least had an interest in Yixing’s interests. And now that he had made it clear Yixing’s was his, making sure the unicorn man was happy would have to be at top priority or else Luhan would have to beat Tao up.

 

Kai squeezed his knee again. “Come to the bathroom with me.”

 

“Bathroom? You’re an adult, you can go yourself.”

 

“That’s not what I meant,” Kai said and rolled his eyes.

 

Luhan lowered his voice. “If you want to do that then we can just leave.”

 

“Then let’s leave, you’ve already congratulated Tao.”

 

Luhan nodded and gestured for Kai to get up first. He turned to Yixing, reaching out a hand to pat his knee. “I’m heading to Kai’s place. I think Tao’s going somewhere after this, so make sure he sends you home properly.”

 

Yixing nodded. “I can go myself, but I’ll call if I do.”

 

Luhan reached out and petted Yixing’s hair. “Good boy.”

 

“You two have fun,” Yixing said face blank.

 

The other models gave them knowing looks and Luhan quickly moved away to follow his boyfriend outside. Kai slung an arm over Luhan’s shoulder and pulled him close then started walking down the warm spring night street.

 

“Why are we walking this way?” Luhan asked. “Shouldn’t we take the taxi?”

 

Kai hummed, “Yeah, but I had something I wanted to ask you.”

 

Luhan looked sideways at Kai, watching his handsome side profile as he stared up at the light polluted night sky, dark eyes swirling with emotions Luhan couldn’t grasp. “After your idiot roommate confesses to that Lay guy and after the boss gets married, if you’re even more in love with me, will you move in?”

 

Move in. Kai wanted them to live together? “Are you sure?”

 

Kai shrugged. “I figure by then we should know if we’re working out well.” He peeked down at Luhan. “What do you say?”

 

“My lease doesn’t get renewed until January.”

 

Kai’s lips jutted out in a pout and Luhan thought it was cute. “But I guess that gives us time to see if living together will work before handing the lease over to Tao.”

 

Kai’s face immediately brightened up and he leaned down to kiss Luhan quickly. “Is that a yes then?”

 

Luhan kissed back then purred, “Let’s hurry back to your place and I’ll give you a blowjob to seal the deal.”

 

Kai’s eyes went big, lust taking over everything else. He moved his arm from Luhan’s shoulders to his waist and squeezed him close. “I love you a lot, you know that, _hyung_?”

 

Luhan did and he hoped it stayed like that for a long time. Mutual love was the most exciting feeling he had ever experienced.

 

They hurried back to where taxis lined up waiting in front of the showcase building.

 


	22. “…, and love hard.”

**Chapter 22 “…, and love hard.”**

 

            Tao stared at the sleeping form on the couch, himself perched on the edge of the coffee table. Each light rise of their chest matched the sweet drumming at the back of Tao’s head from his hangover. It was early morning, the sun barely peaking over the horizon and he had just gotten home. For someone who had spent all night drinking and passed out in the break room of their favorite bar, Tao felt overly refreshed. The loose grogginess of his body and thumping in his head reminded him he was there, alive, surviving. He should take advantage of it, work hard, play hard, and love hard. He had read that on a poster for some cologne on the way home. It seemed fitting for today.

 

“Yixing,” Tao said and leaned forward to shake the sleeping form. “Yixing, get up, you really shouldn’t sleep on this couch so much. Why didn’t you go to mine or Luhan’s bed?”

 

The unicorn man shifted suddenly turning so he was on his back, arms flayed out. His eyes fluttered opened and he blinked a couple of times before fixing sleepy eyes on Tao. “Zitao? Hmm, Luhan’s bed is…”  
  


Tao chuckled and reached a hand up to push Yixing’s bangs out of his face. His hair was a little frizzy and Tao guessed he fell asleep with it only half dry. “I get it. I wouldn’t want to sleep on his bed either. What about mine?”

 

Yixing licked his lips then sat up. “I couldn’t.”

 

“You can from now on,” Tao said and stood. “Get a jacket on, we’re going to the beach.”

 

Yixing rubbed his face then stood and stumbled sleepily towards Tao. He reached blindly out for a light jacket and ended up grabbing one of Tao’s from the hook by the coat closet and door. “Why?”

 

Tao helped Yixing into the jacket, a thin leopard print that didn’t really match him and patted his shoulders that were about the same size as his. “Because I like the beach.”

 

Yixing snoozed in the taxi, long soft face snuggled into the fuzzy rim of the jacket’s hood. Tao leaned his head back on the seat and watched him sleep more. He definitely looked a bit older than Tao and he considered talking to Yixing with more respect, but he had lost most of that when he came to America and tried his best to adapt to their way of speaking. Maybe he could just be sweeter. And Yixing was pretty, but more the handsome sort of pretty, like a horse.

 

Tao’s eyes started to feel heavy as he studied each line of Yixing’s face, but he fought it off. He’s sleep later; right now he wanted to watch Yixing. He had done it before, familiarized himself with Yixing’s body line and face angles to know exactly how each fold of the clothes he was modeling would fall and to help direct positions along with the light angles, but today had nothing to do with work.

 

Today was for recovery and celebration. Tao had spent the night in major surgery.

 

He had almost fallen asleep when the cab finally stopped at the beach. Tao shook himself and climbed out before walking to the other side. Yixing was already sitting up blinking around when he opened the door. He waited for Yixing to get out then handed the cab driver his card to swipe. The car drove away and Tao turned to see Yixing looking around, hood over his head and strings pulled tight to block out the sting of the cool morning breeze. The mornings were still cold, but by noon they’d be sweating. Tao hoped to be in bed by then.

 

He made his way over to Yixing and grabbed the edges of the jacket’s hood. Yixing blinked at him, two pretty brown eyes staring with trust and curiosity. Tao grinned and tugged on the hood loosening the string so more than just Yixing’s eyes could be seen. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Yixing’s. The unicorn man’s body stilled for the few seconds the kiss lasted, a few seconds in which all Tao could feel was the parched and soft flesh of Yixing’s lips, not the ocean waves rolling softly onto the shore, not the early bird seagulls calling out for free scraps, not even his own heartbeat.

 

Tao pulled away still grinning. He pulled the strings back before Yixing’s face could morph into a reaction and grabbed his hand. He tugged Yixing along beside him down to where the waves kissed the sand teasing against the tips of his shoes. They were starting to recede and Tao caught site of a large shell stuck in the sand. Yixing bent down to pick it up, but seaweed surrounded it in a death trap. He pulled his hand from its place in Tao’s and only looked up when Tao refused to let it go.

 

“Zitao?”

 

Tao squatted down beside Yixing and helped pull the seaweed off the shell. Yixing rolled the large conch shell in his hands, a smile forming along with a dimple. Tao took the shell away and moved behind Yixing. He pulled the hood down and pressed the shell to Yixing’s ear.

 

“Can you hear the ocean?” Tao asked.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Tao tilted his head to Yixing’s other ear, cheek brushing against his hair. “Can you hear me?”

 

Yixing only nodded this time.

 

“I like you, Yixing. Actually, it’s more like I’m in love with you.” Tao’s lips brushed against Yixing’s cheeks and he could feel the extra warmth of a blush on them. He dropped the shell and moved his arms to wrap them around Yixing’s middle. Yixing squirmed a bit and they went from squatting to sitting on their butts in the cold gold sand. Tao pulled Yixing closer so his back pressed into his chest. “Look at me Yixing.”

 

The unicorn man did, brown eyes wavering with disbelief and Tao supposed he shouldn’t have expected Yixing to react with his usual blank curiosity when Tao had drilled into him how much he did not want to be in love.

 

“Did you hear me?”

 

Yixing nodded.

 

“Aren’t you going to say something back?”

 

Yixing was searching Tao’s face. He tried to look sincere, to not hide anything. Yixing was still somewhat of an animal. More than an animal and more than a human. After a few seconds, that soft loving call of his name escaped Yixing’s lips.

 

“Zitao, I love you, too.”

 

Tao smiled and it was reciprocated on Yixing’s face, dimple and all. He leaned down and captures Yixing’s lips again. This time, Yixing kissed back, lips eager and Tao had to move back before he was tempted to have sex on the beach, which didn’t sound like a bad idea, but maybe on a summer’s night when it was warmer and they wouldn’t get caught as easy.

 

“Why?” Yixing asked when they had caught their breath.

 

Tao leaned his head on the back of Yixing’s neck. “Why? I don’t want it to be complicated. Other people fall in love with other people and I fall in love with you.”

 

“What about Yifan?” Yixing asked, voice steady when he did.

 

Tao sighed. It was strange not to have that huge tug on his heart when that name was mentioned. “I promised not to fall in love with another man after him, but you’re not really human, so maybe this is God’s or whoever’s way of telling me to quit being an immature brat and be happy.”

 

Yixing leaned back fully into Tao’s chest. “You are kind of a brat, but I don’t dislike it. Are we dating now?”

 

Tao laughed and moved one of his hands to grab one of Yixing’s entangling their long fingers. “Yeah.”

 

“Are we going to have sex?”

 

Tao nodded, his chin brushing Yixing’s hair and he finally just rested it on the top of his head. “Yeah, we have to celebrate afterall.”

 

_Because I’ve recovered from heartbreak._

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            They got to the apartment around then after a quiet tension filled taxi ride. The morning was spent cuddling on the beach with the tide tickling the toes of their shoes. It was strange being that way with someone. Even his time with Kris had been more violent flirting and playing around than actual just embracing. Tao liked it. Things like this, the romantic kind that made your teeth hurt; Tao had always wanted to do those kinds of things with his lover. And it was weird that Tao didn’t feel weird thinking of Yixing as his lover. Maybe that was just how it was when you let yourself free.

 

Tao gently tugged Yixing inside the apartment then shut the door behind them. He looked around to make sure that Luhan’s shoes weren’t there and made his way to the couch. Yixing stood in the doorway and looked around the apartment almost as if he had walked in for the first time. His eyes finally landed on Tao’s, but he quickly looked away and down at his shoes.

 

“I’ll make breakfast,” Yixing offered.

 

“Later,” Tao said.

 

“You’re probably hungry though. You went drinking; food will help with the hangover.”

 

Tao patted the space beside him on the couch. “I know something better that’ll help with the hangover. Come sit with me, Yixing.”

 

Yixing gave one longing look toward the kitchen before moving to the couch and sitting beside Tao. He stared straight at the blank television screen; posture proper with hands clenched on his knees. Tao refrained from touching him. It was kind of cute how nervous he seemed. Tao really had never had a nervous lover and even the two times before, Yixing had never seemed quite so shy, just reserved.

 

“We’ve done it already, why are you nervous?”

 

One of Yixing’s hands clenched tighter. “It’s the first time it’s mutual.”

 

Tao nodded. “So this would be our first time making love?”

 

Yixing nodded.

 

Now Tao felt a little nervous. He had thought he had made love with Kris when he lost his virginity, but honestly it didn’t feel much different then sex with any other guy if he took out all the expectations and the fact he didn’t know what he was doing. Would ‘making love’ be any different?

 

“We don’t have to do it yet if you don’t want to,” Tao said. “I’m not going to force you and I’m not going to order you to.”

 

Yixing shook his head. “No, I want to; I’m just not use to it.”

 

Tao frowned. “You’re not use to me being nice. Okay Yixing, I get it.”

 

The unicorn man turned his head toward Tao and Tao leaned in. He moved his hand over Yixing’s neck, rubbing it, then pulled him down for a kiss. His lips pressed firmly to Yixing’s and he waited until Yixing’s eyes fluttered closed before closing his own. He deepened the kiss, hand moving from Yixing’s neck once he started reacting, traveling down the zipper of Tao’s jacket Yixing still wore. He unzipped it and felt Yixing’s waist over his shirt. The unicorn man shivered and pulled away from the kiss and looked at Tao with nervous and expectant eyes. Tao stared at them for a moment before grabbing the hem of  Yixing’s shirt and lifted it. He leaned down and kissed the exposed white tummy, lines of thin abs muscles visible. He kissed higher reaching Yixing’s heartbeat then a dusky nipple. He latched his lips around it, suckling sweetly, and rested a hand on Yixing’s thigh. The unicorn man let out a soft whimper of pleasure. He placed a hand on the low of Tao’s back where there were still light bruises from his fall from the circus tent, but not as bad as they would have been if Yixing hadn’t touched them.

 

Tao moved his hand to Yixing’s inner thigh then to his crotch, rubbing it slowly. Yixing gasped and pressed a little too hard to Tao’s back. Tao unlatched himself and kissed back down. He pulled Yixing’s pant button free and pushed the zipper down. Yixing still wore no underwear and Tao found himself enjoying that fact. He kissed the light hairs that appeared in the visible space between the zipper’s teeth before reaching down and pulling out Yixing’s length. He stroked it a couple times watching Yixing’s expression then licked the tip. Yixing shuttered. He grasped Tao’s hair roughly as if trying to pull him off. Tao chuckled and put his other hand over Yixing’s on his hair, easing the grip and directing Yixing to push down on Tao’s head, push him further over the length. He moved slowly up and down, carefully instructing Yixing how to tell him what he wanted with certain tugs. A sharp one told him Yixing was about to cum and he pulled off.

 

Yixing stared at Tao with lips parted in unsatisfied breaths. The nervousness was still there, but now there was an intense need and it pulled at Tao as well. He needed to have Yixing, to make it one hundred percent all that he had given up and all that he was going to work for for now on. He reached forward and cupped Yixing’s face. He ran his thumb along Yixing’s lips and felt a stuttered breath ghost against it. It sent shock up Tao’s arm and through the rest of his body. The next second he was kissing Yixing again, pushing his tongue between thin soft lips to entangle with Yixing’s. Tao leaned back on the couch pulling Yixing with him, pulling the unicorn man onto his lap and his hands went to work on removing Yixing’s clothes. With Yixing’s top finally bare, the unicorn man got the idea and grabbed Tao’s shirt, lifting it up and over his head and laid surprising kisses on Tao’s chest. He laid there for a moment enjoying them wondering what other things Yixing would initiate once he had more confidence. He slowed down when he got to Tao’s pants and if it was any other time, Tao might have watched Yixing fight with himself on what to do next, but Tao needed to be connected with Yixing. He pulled Yixing farther up on his laps and pushed down his pants enough to get at his entrance.

 

Luhan had thought it was stupid for them to leave a bottle of lube in the couch, but as Tao’s fingers fumbled quickly for it, he was glad he had still snuck one there after the one time Luhan had actually cleaned the whole apartment from head to toe. He uncapped it and coated his fingers. Tao jammed one quickly into Yixing and he fell forward, breathing harshly into Tao’s neck. Tao took his time in thrusting it in and out and adding a second and a third. He could feel tears on his neck and turned his head to kiss Yixing’s cheek and jaw line as he worked. His other hand moved to tracing teasing lines on Yixing’s wilting member to get his mind off the stretching. Three times wasn’t enough to be use to it.

 

“Tao, I just want you,” Yixing groaned.

 

Tao removed his fingers and tapped Yixing’s butt lightly. “Sit up and lower yourself. Only take in what you can at a time.”

 

Yixing nodded and sat up. He kicked off his jeans the rest of the way and fumbled with Tao’s zipper. His fingers slipped a few times as he grabbed Tao’s member as if he’d break it if he pulled it out from Tao’s pants to quickly and Tao chuckled at that making Yixing’s face even redder than what it was. Tao allowed Yixing a few seconds to stroke it, admire being able to touch Tao so freely then he thrust up to get Yixing’s attention back to what they were doing. Yixing licked his lips then steadied himself over Tao’s lap. He put one arm on the back of the couch and the other held Tao’s member as he slowly sat down. Tao moaned when he felt the tip entering Yixing. He forced his eyes to stay open, to watch Yixing’s expression and to make sure he wasn’t overdoing it. Yixing stopped midway and it was almost torture having his sensitive head and half his length inside all that warmth while the rest was still exposed to the chill of the morning. After a few seconds more, Yixing plopped himself all the way down, holding back a groan of pain.

 

Tao grabbed Yixing’s hands and pressed them against his chest so he could feel his heartbeat. He stared into Yixing eyes hoping to calm him and to get him use to it fast enough. When he saw the pain starting to ebb away, he snapped his hips up and Yixing’s nails dug into his chest, a short cry escaping him. Tao did it again and waited for Yixing to get the message. Yixing shifted a bit and moved his hands to rest against Tao’s stomach. He lift up and pushed down with shallow thrust keep most of Tao still inside him. So much heat, but Tao needed more friction. He placed his hands on Yixing’s hips and helped to lift him, to get just the right height. Once there, he moved one hand up Yixing’s back, dragging his nails softly along his spin making Yixing shiver. He entangled his fingers into the back of Yixing’s hair almost wishing it was still long and pulled him down, meeting him in a kiss half way. Tao moved his hips in beat with the strange rhythm their tongues made entwining with each other interrupted only by their moans.

 

“Zitao…Zitao,” Yixing moaned between kisses, some of them muttered into Tao’s mouth when a kiss came too soon that caused vibrations to hit his sweet spots.

 

Heat started to pool in Tao’s stomach and he lay back on the couch letting Yixing take over the kisses, enjoying the kisses on his jaw and neck. Yixing’s fingers started to scratch at his stomach. He guessed that meant the unicorn man was close, too. He went back to holding Yixing’s waist and helping him bounce on his lap, going faster, pulling Yixing down harder and swiveling his hips. Yixing suddenly reached out for the back of the couch and arched back. Semen shot over his other hand and Tao’s chest. The moment Tao had fully processed the sight, he lost it inside Yixing. Yixing slowly lowered himself over Tao, chest moving fast with deep breaths. Tao wrapped his arms around Yixing’s waist and held him close ignoring the fact he was still buried in him for the moment.

 

“I think we should have done this in the bed,” Tao said once he had enough breath to talk.

 

“Why?” Yixing asked voice still raspy.

 

“The couch kind of sucks for resting.”

 

“I like it,” Yixing said.

 

“That’s because it’s better than what they kept you in at the circus,” Tao said. Yixing didn’t answer back and Tao was afraid he had offended Yixing until he felt soft breath on his shoulder. He lifted a hand and petted Yixing’s sweaty hair as the unicorn man slept.

 

Well, if Yixing liked it that was good enough reason to keep the couch even if Luhan complained about cum stains the next day.

 

**(✪㉨✪)**

 

            Tao stared at himself in front of the mirror struggling with the black silk tie he had been forced to wear. Every time the wrong end ended up longer and that was only if he was successful in getting the knot right. This was why he preferred bowties. What kind of wedding made you wear ties anyways? And what gay marriage had best men? Even straight marriages didn’t always have the entourage at the side.

 

“Here, let me help you.”

 

Long fingers appeared over Tao’s shoulders and moved down to his chest, grabbing the ends of the tie. The fingers pulled the knot free easily and started to tie it properly, a head peeping over Tao’s shoulder to see what he was doing.

 

“Yixing, I don’t want to stand out there. There’s a much of reporters and news people,” Tao whined.

 

“Minseok’s a journalist so of course there are other reporters out there, his friends and co-workers. And you have to go out, you’re the best man,” Yixing said.

 

“But it’s a gay wedding, why is there a best man?”

 

Yixing’s fingers pulled the tie smoothly through its loop making a perfect knot. “Because you’re special to Kris and he wants you as part of the wedding.”

 

Tao frowned. There wasn’t anything he could say against that. Even if he was still in love with Kris he would have still agreed to stand next to him at the altar and watch him marry someone else because above everything else, they were friends, brothers. “But why ties?”

 

Yixing finished tying and slid one hand down the tie, grasping the middle of it. He tugged and spun Tao away from the mirror, pulling close by the tie. He grinned up at Tao, eyes playful; an expression Tao still wasn’t use to in the few months he had been with Yixing.

 

“I think ties are useful.”

 

Tao grinned and lifted a hand to Yixing’s collar tapping the toffee colored bowtie he wore. “Then maybe you should have worn one.”

 

Yixing’s smile brightened, but there was a mischievous edge to it. “I’m sure I’ll be wearing your tie later.”

 

The unicorn man danced away and Tao frowned after him. “You’re spending too much time with Luhan; he’s giving you dirty ideas. Where is Luhan anyways?”

 

Yixing went to the dresser in the changing room Tao had been occupying and grabbed the black blazer that matched Tao’s suit. He held it out for Tao to slip back in. “I saw him fighting with Kai and then they disappeared together into another changing room.”

 

“Those two are going to break up one of these days with all that bickering,” Tao complained.

 

“Yeah, but I’m sure they’ll get back together in a year or two. Luhan said he was thinking about moving in with Kai. If they break up, it’ll be before the lease is up,” Yixing said and patted Tao’s jacket down.

 

“Yeah, I hope he does go, it’ll be nice to have him out of the apartment,” Tao said and turned, pulling Yixing into a hug. “You’re going to be sitting close to the front, right?”

 

“Yeah. I’m in charge of the cake, remember.”

 

“I saw it, I really want to eat it,” Tao said remembering the off white cake he had seen in the dinning area of the party room they had rented for the reception part of the wedding, the actual ceremony being held outside. “You sure you don’t want to be a pastry chef instead of a model?”

 

Yixing buried his head in Tao’s collarbone and shook it. “No, I don’t want to be away from you, it’s still strange to me living like a human and living with the person I like.”

 

“Like? You love me.”

 

Yixing looked up and smiled. “I do.”

 

Tao smiled back down, his chest lightening with just the thought. “I do, too. But, we’re definitely never getting married. I saw all the stress it caused Kris and I don’t know if there’s a state of even a country that’ll wed you to something that’s not human anymore.”

 

Yixing lightly punched Tao’s chest. “This is not bestiality or zoophilia.”

 

Tao laughed. “You really do hang out with Luhan too much.”

 

They walked out of the changing room and headed to the altar set up outside. The justice of the peace was already standing under the wedding arch with his book and most of the white expensive looking lawn chairs were filled. Luhan and Kai sat close to the front with an extra chair beside them. Tao dropped Yixing off there before making his way to Kris’ side of the arch, another man and a girl on Minseok’s. He recognized the girl as an ex-girlfriend of Minseok’s and slightly wondered how Kris had felt about Minseok still being close to one of his ex’s, but then again he was standing there and his relationship with Kris was more complicated. Tao adjusted his tie and looked out at the crowd finding Yixing talking animatedly with Luhan. Yixing looked up feeling his eyes and smiled. Tao smiled back. Well, it wasn’t so complicated anymore.

 

Tao guessed the guy was either a brother or a friend. He’d ask at the reception.

 

A few minutes later, music started playing. Kris walked down first escorting his mother who Tao was glad to see make it. She took a seat by Kris’ father. They gave each other grimaced smiles, but otherwise seemed perfectly civil to each other. Tao was glad he was there, too. His own parents knew Kris was getting married, but he doubted they paid enough attention to know it was to a man. They were happy enough knowing Tao was still alive and wasn’t wasting all of the ‘good neighbor boy’s’ money.

 

Minseok came next hanging off the arm of an older woman. He wasn’t sure where Minseok’s parents were, whether they didn’t come because they didn’t approve or because they didn’t have the money for plane tickets to New York, but Minseok seemed happy enough in his white suite staring after Kris down the aisle. They both had a red carnation in their breast pocket which Tao thought was the wrong flower for an August wedding, but Kris said it had to be that maybe because Tao had introduced them in winter and Kris had proposed when it started getting cold outside.

 

Once they were both at the altar, they held each others’ hands. Other than cameras flashing, it was quiet and the justice began to speak. Tao furrowed his brows. Since finding out Kris was getting married, he had dreaded the day he’d have to watch it and here he was only a foot away from the couple as they took their vows. Watching them put rings of gold on their fingers, saying sappy words, and then finally leaning in for that last kiss of single life; Tao didn’t feel the dread he had always anticipated he would. He didn’t feel like throwing up or crying and he didn’t have flashbacks to those few months he had been tricked into thinking they were happy together. He could feel eyes on him and turned to the standing crowd of clapping people. He caught sight of Yixing.

 

Tao didn’t feel anything but happy.


End file.
